UK leads expansive Joint Expeditionary Force drills as defence chiefs gather in Iceland

• Hundreds of British troops, together with partners from the UK‑led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), are taking part in Exercise Lion Protector 26 to address the growing Russian threat.

• Training spans the North Atlantic, High North and Baltic Sea regions, including a historic Royal Marines operation on the Faroe Islands—the first since World War II.

• The drills coincide with a summit in Keflavik, Iceland, where the UK Defence Secretary is meeting JEF counterparts; Canada and Ukraine are also present.

The United Kingdom is stepping up its defence of the High North and Baltic regions to counter Russian hybrid threats, with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) leading major exercises throughout the area.

Allied forces under the UK‑led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) have carried out Exercise Lion Protector 26, training across the North Atlantic, High North and Baltic Sea to safeguard vital infrastructure, enhance joint command‑and‑control capabilities and address emerging security challenges.

From the undersea data cables that link the UK to the global network to the energy infrastructure that powers homes and businesses, the North Atlantic and High North are critical to national security.

These activities coincide with today’s summit in Keflavik, Iceland, where the UK Defence Secretary is meeting JEF counterparts. Ministers will advance talks on Canada’s bid to join the JEF Framework.

The agenda also includes deepening cooperation on countering hybrid threats, expanding industrial collaboration, and reinforcing support for Ukraine via the JEF‑Ukraine Enhanced Partnership. Canada and Ukraine’s continued engagement with JEF will be reflected in the presence of their respective ministers.

A key component of Exercise Lion Protector 26 involved Royal Marines from the UK’s Special Operations Maritime Task Group conducting the first training on the Faroe Islands since World War II, in partnership with Danish forces.

The Marines and Danish partners performed maritime interdiction drills, amphibious landings and vertical ascent exercises on the Faroes—a location that hosted a major Royal Marines deployment during World War II.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP said:

The North Atlantic, High North and Baltic regions form the front line of the UK’s security, underscoring the vital role of British leadership within the Joint Expeditionary Force.

From amphibious landings on the Faroe Islands to the deployment of a standing headquarters north of the Arctic Circle, recent JEF exercises demonstrate how the UK is collaborating with allies to strengthen NATO’s defence of the region against escalating Russian threats.

I was pleased to welcome our Canadian and Ukrainian counterparts to the summit, as JEF aims to broaden cooperation with these essential allies.

Exercise Lion Protector began in August with a rehearsal of a multinational maritime escort spanning the Baltic Sea. Naval vessels and aircraft from Denmark, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom escorted a Danish ship delivering military equipment to Latvia, testing JEF’s capacity to coordinate swiftly across sea, land, air, cyber and space domains.

The UK’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters orchestrated operations across the High North and Baltic Sea region, positioning forces north of the Arctic Circle in Norway to evaluate its capability to command allied units with speed and reach.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a UK‑led coalition of ten like‑minded nations that maintain high‑readiness forces ready to respond quickly to crises in support of NATO. Its members—the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden—work together to secure the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, Arctic and High North for NATO.

Today’s gathering follows the JEF Leaders’ Summit in Helsinki in March, where participants pledged continued strong support for Ukraine through the ambitious implementation of the JEF‑Ukraine Enhanced Partnership.

The summit also reflects the Prime Minister’s recent talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre concerning the hybrid threat posed by Russia.

Exercise Lion Protector 26 precedes the Atlantic Future Forum and the International Sea Power Conference, both scheduled for November in Oslo.

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