The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a U.K.-led defense cooperation and rapid-response framework for Northern European countries, which also includes the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will sign an agreement in Oslo in November to establish new combat units, Gen. Gwyn Jenkins of the Royal Marines said in an interview with Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

According to Jenkins, deploying JEF combat units would not necessarily require NATO's Article 5 to be invoked. The JEF complements NATO and allows its member states to respond rapidly to situations in which a JEF country comes under threat. He said wartime defense plans have already been drawn up for the new units, which should be capable of entering combat immediately if necessary. The plans cover operations by JEF countries' navies, their own national defense requirements and support for NATO's wartime plans.

The navies of JEF countries would form the core of the new units, although their composition and capabilities would depend on the specific mission. Traditional warships and submarines would be supported by military aircraft, helicopters, marines and special forces. Uncrewed systems, including aerial and maritime drones and other autonomous technologies, would also be used extensively. Jenkins described the approach as a hybrid fleet. Britain's state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighters based aboard its aircraft carriers would be an important part of the JEF's capabilities.

The backbone of the force's military deterrence would be Britain's nuclear weapons, carried aboard British submarines patrolling the Atlantic Ocean. Jenkins said the Royal Navy maintains constant readiness to provide nuclear protection for the Nordic region as well. He stressed that Britain's nuclear deterrent is not only part of NATO's collective defense but also provides the U.K. with a sovereign defense capability.

According to Iltalehti, Britain's nuclear deterrent would in the future also extend through the JEF to all of its member countries, rather than solely through NATO's nuclear defense framework. Jenkins said this should also send a direct message to Moscow.

The Royal Navy chief linked the strengthening of the JEF primarily to Russia's behavior. He said the greatest problem is Moscow's unpredictability, meaning Russia could at some point test European democracies, including by testing NATO's Article 5 in the Baltic or Nordic region.

At the same time, the general stressed that there was no reason to panic. However, that did not mean the JEF or NATO could lapse into complacency; they must also prepare for worst-case scenarios.

Jenkins said the purpose of military preparedness is not to start a war but to prevent one. Deterrence must be sufficiently credible for Moscow to understand that an attack on a JEF or NATO country would be bound to fail. He said this requires maintaining readiness, conducting exercises and sustaining a military presence in the region.

In his interview with Iltalehti, the Royal Navy chief also said the U.K. was prepared to deploy its military capabilities to the Baltic Sea to strengthen Finland's defense. He said keeping sea routes open would be essential. If military support were needed for Finland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic states, functioning links between the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea would have to be maintained. Jenkins said Britain wants to use its frigates, destroyers and autonomous systems for this purpose and deploy them wherever they are needed in a particular situation.

The agreement to be signed in Oslo in November is expected to give these plans a concrete organizational structure. It should provide further details on how the JEF's collective defense in the Baltic region, the Nordic countries, the North Atlantic and the Arctic will be strengthened.

Finnish expert: This is a big deal

Finnish security expert Henri Vanhanen commented on the announcement that JEF units would be established, saying the move is far more significant for Finland's security than may currently be understood.

"This is not just about new combat units or British nuclear weapons. A framework is now being created in Northern Europe that would allow Britain and a group of Finland's closest partners to take rapid military action in a critical situation, even without NATO. This is a major change," he wrote on social media.

Vanhanen explained that if Russia were ever to seek to test the West, it would benefit from creating as ambiguous a situation as possible — one in which NATO's 32 member states would have to consider exactly what was happening, whether it constituted an attack and how to respond. The JEF, however, makes such a strategy more difficult.

"This would not even require a joint decision by all 10 JEF countries. Britain could, for example, act together with Finland, Sweden and other willing countries. Each country decides for itself how to use its forces," he noted.

With greater military capabilities now set to underpin the framework through the creation of new combat units and the strengthening of capabilities, particularly at sea, this is highly significant for Finland, Vanhanen wrote.

"We depend on the Baltic Sea and connections to the West. Britain, meanwhile, is one of Europe's strongest naval powers, a nuclear-armed state and a country capable of deploying truly significant military force here," the Finnish expert said. "So Britain is not simply promising to support Northern Europe. It is already building, in peacetime, a system through which it could come here to fight if necessary. The more of this that is prepared in advance, the less room there will be for uncertainty when a crisis occurs."

Vanhanen noted that while NATO is the foundation of Finland's defense, it does not make sense to put all its eggs in one basket. The JEF means that, if necessary, the U.K. and other willing countries can also act quickly by reaching agreements among themselves. Russia therefore can no longer count on hesitation within NATO buying it additional time.

"For this reason, I currently consider strengthening the JEF to be one of the most important pillars of Finland's defense," he concluded.

Vanhanen has worked as a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, focusing on Finnish security and defense policy and Northern European security. He has also worked at Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European Parliament, the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki and the Finnish Parliament. He has worked with the center-right National Coalition Party.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!