LONDON (AFP) – Britain and France usher in an unprecedented era of cooperation at a summit in London Tuesday with a deal to create a joint military force and share aircraft carriers and nuclear testing facilities.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will sign two treaties which they say will allow both nations to remain global players while cutting defense budgets following the financial crisis.
Defense Secretary Liam Fox said the agreement was good for both sides, telling the BBC: “That makes perfect sense in a world where resources are tight but our interests are increasingly common.”
The deal between the historic rivals includes a joint rapid reaction force of up to 5,000 troops deployable from next year; plans to share nuclear testing equipment by 2015; and the use of aircraft carriers from about 2020.
Both London and Paris have defended the plans, insisting their militaries will not lose the ability to act independently.
“I do seriously believe that this link-up with the French is in the long-term interests of both our countries,” Cameron told lawmakers on Monday.
The French president's office said any measures on nuclear cooperation would be taken “in total respect of the independence of deterrent powers of the two countries.”
The pact puts an end to centuries of rivalry and, at times, war, from the invasion of England by the French-speaking Normans in 1066, through to the 14th and 15th century battles for control of France and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The first treaty will cover a wide agreement on defense, from the creation of a new combined joint expeditionary force to sharing the use of aircraft carriers, the maintenance of transport planes and some joint procurement.