Written question asked by Luke Akehurst (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. It was answered by Al Carns (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Joint Expeditionary Force

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of an expanded role for the Joint Expeditionary Force in European security over the coming years.

Answer

The Joint Expeditionary Force strengthens NATO by operating actively, routinely, and rapidly in the Northern hemisphere.

As the threat to Europe grows more acute, JEF activity has grown in scale and ambition. Ex TARASSIS, the JEF’s flagship 2025 exercise, was the largest in its history. Ex LION PROTECTOR this year is planned to be more ambitious still.

While the JEF is an open and accessible framework which welcomes collaboration with non-members, it has a bounded area of strategic interest focused on the North Atlantic, Baltic, and High North and Arctic. NATO remains the cornerstone of European security writ large and the JEF remains complementary by design.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 5667
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Joint Expeditionary Force
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Joint Expeditionary Force

Secondary information

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