The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a United Kingdom-led high-readiness and rapid deployment force created in 2014.
With the accession of Iceland in April 2021, JEF consists of 10 countries – the United Kingdom, Estonia, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
The JEF is a brigade-sized, high-readiness combat unit dedicated to responding to unexpected crises in Europe and beyond: from humanitarian aid to deterrence to combat operations. The JEF is primarily intended for rapid response operations under the flag of the European Union, NATO or the United Nations. Its units could also be used for NATO Article 5 operations.
Lithuania allocates a company-sized unit to these forces, which is part of the Danish Army’s battle group. Since the beginning of 2016, a Lithuanian officer has been serving at the JEF Operational Headquarters in Northwood, United Kingdom.
