The Keflavik Summit and JEF Expansion
The defense ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations convened at Keflavik Air Base in Iceland to solidify the partnership’s role as a cornerstone of European and Euro-Atlantic security. Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty also attended the security summit, following Ottawa’s formal application for membership in the coalition.
Led by the United Kingdom since its establishment in 2014, the JEF currently includes Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. During the meeting, the coalition agreed to reinforce its operational functions through three primary measures:
- Bolstering support for Ukraine: implementing a structured partnership between the JEF and Kyiv. Notably, Ukraine participated for the first time this year in the Lion Protector exercise, deploying mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels.
- Reinforcing NATO’s Northern Flank: leveraging the member states’ strategic geographic alignment across the Arctic, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea. This regional integration and specialized maritime expertise will be further enhanced by Canada's prospective integration.
- Strengthening peacetime deterrence: increasing the frequency and integration of JEF operational activities. This effort is spearheaded by this autumn's Lion Protector maneuvers in the High North, which feature direct synchronization with the UK Carrier Strike Group.
The partners also addressed intensifying Russian hybrid threats and acts of sabotage targeting member nations, reaffirming the urgency of upgrading both individual and collective resilience.
The Nuclear Umbrella Debate and NATO Integration
The ministerial meeting followed high-profile remarks by General Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the Royal Navy. In an interview with the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti, Jenkins suggested that the United Kingdom could potentially extend its nuclear deterrent framework to JEF structures in the future. The statements triggered strategic debates within several member states, particularly Estonia. Baltic analysts observed that the UK already provides strategic nuclear guarantees under the broader NATO framework. They argued that in scenarios involving low-level wars of attrition or localized land grabs, the threshold for nuclear employment remains high, underscoring the need for robust conventional capabilities.
Estonian defense expert Meelis Oidsalu noted that London is not shifting its nuclear doctrine, adding that alliance frameworks do not explicitly tie these guarantees to operations under Article 5. Jenkins himself clarified that the JEF remains a complementary framework to NATO.
In November, member states are scheduled to sign a comprehensive naval cooperation agreement in Oslo, symbolically hosted aboard a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. According to Jenkins, the signatories will establish new high-readiness combat contingents. Formed around British naval, amphibious, and air capabilities, these task forces will be optimized for rapid deployment to defend threatened member states without requiring the formal invocation of NATO’s Article 5. This shifts more regional responsibility to European allies as the UK takes on a larger leadership role within NATO. On September 24, 2026, British General Nick Perry assumed command of Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), a pivotal operational headquarters led by U.S. officers since its establishment in 2019.
Operational Maneuvers in the Faroe Islands
As a core component of Exercise Lion Protector, the Royal Marines deployed to the Faroe Islands, marking their first operational return to the archipelago since World War II to execute joint drills with Danish and Faroese forces.
The UK Commando Force deployed its Allied Reaction Force Special Operations Maritime Task Group (SOMTG) to execute the maneuvers. Training tracks focused heavily on Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), including Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) procedures, advanced vessel-approach tactics, boarding ladder deployments, and target scaling.
The elite units subsequently transitioned to littoral strike operations, maneuvering through the complex volcanic archipelago of 18 islands. Commando teams established covert observation posts along high cliffs to monitor strategic maritime choke points and shipping lanes prior to launching coordinated cliff ascents.
According to a tender notice published by UK Defence Journal, the Royal Marines are looking to procure a dedicated maritime interdiction training facility at RM Bickleigh, with an option for a secondary site at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone.
Border Reinforcements on the Baltic Flank
Simultaneously, frontline JEF members are tightening border security against escalating hybrid threats. Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas announced the deployment of armed forces elements to reinforce the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The decision was driven by informations suggesting a potential mobilization inside Russia, raising the risk of illegal frontier crossings by Russian nationals. The move also follows a border incursion in neighboring Latvia, where masked, armed individuals crossed from Belarus to sabotage surveillance infrastructure and steal surveillance cameras.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, the military detatchment will support state border guard services for an initial duration of two weeks.
Featured image: Royal Marines train on a fishing vessel during joint exercises in the Faroe Islands. (Credits: Royal Navy / © Crown Copyright)
