Britain’s Foolish Trust in a German Military Start-up

The German military start-up Helsing will open the United Kingdom’s first Resilience factory this year. The factory will enhance military artificial intelligence capabilities and produce hundreds of mini-submarine drones as part of a new “national center of marine autonomy,” the UK government announced on July 8.

In World War ii, maritime security was a key factor that prevented a German invasion of Britain; today, Britain has invited a German military start-up to help safeguard those same waters.

Trinity House Agreement: Last year, Germany and the UK signed the Anglo-German Trinity House Agreement to enhance bilateral defense cooperation. Following the agreement, Helsing announced £350 million (us$475 million) in investments in the UK to further AI developments.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey welcomed the investment: “It shows how our historic UK-Germany defense agreement can help drive our defense industries forward, creating highly skilled jobs and boosting economic growth.”

Helsing’s acceleration of its £350 million Trinity House private investment will see it provide allied navies with AI-powered miniature submarines to protect critical underwater infrastructure. The advanced manufacturing facility will be based in Plymouth, as the new national center of marine autonomy.
—gov.uk press release

SG-1 Fathom: The factory in Plymouth, scheduled to open later this year, will produce SG-1 Fathom gliders equipped to detect threats such as Russian submarines. The gliders are able to distinguish different types of vessels based on the slightest of differences.

“Mass manufacturable, hundreds of SG-1s can be deployed at scale to monitor vast underwater areas,” the company explains on its website.

Silly dove: In the lead-up to World War ii, Winston Churchill feverishly warned of the advances in German submarine production and surveillance. Today, Britain not only lacks a watchman like Churchill but is also inviting its former enemy to produce military hardware on its shores.

The Bible describes modern Britain as “a silly dove, without sense” (Hosea 7:11; New King James Version). These and other recent decisions from the British government show why.

Learn more: Read “Throwing Away the Keys.”