A JEF activity can be defined as an activity involving one or more JEF Participant Nation. Depending on the JEF activity, operational command can be delivered by any Participant Nation HQ. In order to provide a constant JEF operational focus, the JEF Operational Coordination Cell (JEF-OCC) has been formed and is located in the United Kingdom. It is the JEF focal point for the development of combined Participant Nation activity and is responsible for coordinating the generation, integration and delivery of JEF activity to meet agreed designated effects.
Since the illegal and unprovoked attack by Russia on Ukraine in Feb 2022, the JEF has exponentially increased activities in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Regions, across all five domains (Maritime, Land, Air, Space and Cyber). These activities have ranged from tactical and unit level observation teams, through to multi-national exercises, operations and strategic ministerial level table top exercises.
All ten nations have agreed to working closely together to enhance cooperation on security of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), intelligence-sharing and refinement of the JEF Response Options (JROs) – the protocols by which JEF can respond in times of crisis.
The work to develop JROs has built consensus in the JEF planning processes and resulted in stand-alone packages of potential activities which can support Participant Nations and NATO for a swift, credible and capable response to a raft of threats and challenges in the region.
The value added by the JEF is a significant contribution to both security and deterrence, giving JEF Participant Nation governments, and NATO, more options in times of crisis.