Deputy Secretary of Defense spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:
Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan spoke by telephone today with U.K. Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin. The leaders discussed defense issues, including NATO, bilateral exercises, changing technologies, and procurement innovation. They also spoke about the restructure of the Department of Defense's acquisition, technology, and logistics and chief management officer organizations.
Shanahan lauded the value of the U.S.-U.K. close security partnership. He noted that bilateral capability cooperation will be instrumental in enabling our forces to better confront current and emerging threats. Shanahan conveyed the high value the U.S. places on U.K. investment in strong defense capabilities, including its two aircraft carriers and F-35B aircraft.
The two leaders agreed to maintain regular dialogue on shared security interests and the U.S.-U.K. bilateral defense agenda.