Wide-ranging military exercises across northern Europe are ongoing as the U.K. continues to drive its Northern Navies initiative forward via the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
The JEF is a rapid-response coalition consisting of ten northern European nations led by the U.K: the other partners are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
Canada may soon join the fold: U.K. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting on Friday met his JEF counterparts at a summit in Keflavik, Iceland, to progress discussions on Canada’s application for membership of the JEF Framework.
Also on the agenda was extended cooperation on countering hybrid threats, closer industrial collaboration, and support to Ukraine through the JEF-Ukraine Enhanced Partnership.
This week as part of the JEF’s wider Lion Protector 26 exercises running from August to October, Royal Marines have returned to the Faroe Islands for the first time since the Second World War.
The UK Commando Force is working alongside Danish forces and maritime agencies from the Faroe Islands, conducting maritime interdiction drills, coastal landings onto challenging terrain, and small boat missions.
Other elements of Lion Protector 26 have included Baltic Express in August, which centred on a multinational maritime escort rehearsal stretching the length of the Baltic Sea, escorting a roll-on/roll-off vessel delivering heavy military equipment to Latvia.
Looming on the horizon is the forthcoming Atlantic Future Forum and the International Sea Power Conference being hosted on HMS Prince of Wales in Oslo in November, which is set to gather together defence leaders, industry and policymakers to discuss the future of Euro-Atlantic security.
The U.K. is spearheading the maritime Northern Navies initiative (NN), which has the backing of all ten JEF members.
Under the NN, details of which are still being finalised, members will agree to more joint exercises and military planning, as well as shared training, logistics, procurement and capability development.
The aim is to create a highly interoperable force which can seamlessly fuse ships, aircraft, systems and crews from its constituent members.
Last week First Sea Lord (1SL) General Sir Gwyn Jenkins visited Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Estonia to help reinforce the NN’s momentum. He described the visits as “an opportunity to deepen those partnerships, strengthen our maritime relationships through the Northern Navies Initiative and ensure that together we remain ready to deter threats, protect our shared interests and uphold security across northern Europe.”
- You can read more details on the U.K. Government website, the JEF website and the Royal Navy website
