The Joint Expeditionary Force was formally launched as a NATO initiative at the 2014 Wales Summit, under the ‘NATO Framework Nations Concept’.
Following the 2014 NATO Summit, the original seven Participant Nations (Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and the UK) met in London and signed the Foundation Memorandum of Understanding. In 2015 the JEF was declared to be at Initial Operational Capability.
In 2017, JEF membership became nine as Finland and Sweden joined.
The signing of a Comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding in 2018 marked the completion of the process to establish the JEF, with strategic military relationships firmly recognised and processes in place to support JEF activation.
In 2021, Iceland joined the JEF, bringing the number of Participant Nations to ten.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the JEF has significantly expanded its activity, from small deployments to multinational exercises and strategic collaboration, while formalising its crisis response through the development of JEF Response Options (JROs).
At the 2023 JEF Leaders’ Summit, the JEF Vision was formally adopted, setting a clear course for the coalition’s future. The JEF Vision marked a decisive step in strengthening readiness, enhancing strategic coordination, and improving JEF’s ability to respond to emerging threats across Northern Europe.
In 2023, JEF activated its first JRO to protect Critical Undersea Infrastructure after damage to the Baltic Connector pipeline in the Baltic Sea. In 2024, Operation NORDIC WARDEN brought all ten JEF Participant Nations together to protect infrastructure, monitor shipping, and counter hybrid threats, showcasing improved coordination with NATO and operational flexibility.
Since its formation in 2014, the JEF has evolved significantly, expanding across multiple domains to play a vital role in supporting NATO and strengthening security in Northern Europe, particularly in the Baltic Sea Region, the North Atlantic, and the High North.
