UK leads major Joint Expeditionary Force Exercise as defence ministers meet in Iceland
The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force conducted Exercise Lion Protector 26 across the North Atlantic, High North, and Baltic Sea to counter Russian hybrid threats, with a summit in Iceland discussing Canada’s JEF membership and enhanced cooperation.
The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) concluded Exercise Lion Protector 26, a multinational drill involving hundreds of British personnel and allies across the North Atlantic, High North, and Baltic Sea. The exercise focused on protecting critical infrastructure, strengthening joint command, and countering emerging threats, including Russian hybrid activities. Royal Marines conducted the first post-Second World War exercise in the Faroe Islands, alongside Danish forces, performing maritime interdictions and amphibious landings. The training marked a significant step in reinforcing NATO’s defence posture in the region.
Exercise Lion Protector 26 launched in August with a maritime escort operation across the Baltic Sea, involving warships and aircraft from Denmark, Latvia, Sweden, and the UK. The operation tested the JEF’s rapid coordination across sea, land, air, cyber, and space domains. The UK’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters deployed north of the Arctic Circle in Norway to assess its ability to command allied forces at speed and range. The exercise underscored the JEF’s role in enhancing regional security and interoperability among member states.
Defence Secretary met JEF counterparts in Keflavik, Iceland, to discuss Canada’s application for JEF membership and deepen cooperation on countering hybrid threats. The summit also addressed industrial collaboration and support to Ukraine through the JEF-Ukraine Enhanced Partnership. Canadian and Ukrainian ministers attended, highlighting the alliance’s expanding cooperation with key partners. The discussions aimed to strengthen the JEF’s collective defence capabilities and strategic alignment.
The JEF is a UK-led coalition of ten nations—Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK—configured to respond rapidly to crises in support of NATO security. The exercise and summit follow the JEF Leaders’ Summit in Helsinki in March, where leaders agreed to reinforce support for Ukraine. The UK’s leadership in the JEF was reaffirmed as a critical component of NATO’s defence strategy in the High North and Baltic Sea regions.