Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Finland
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Finland
01/07/2025 | Press release | Archived content
JEF nations to increase Baltic Sea surveillance
07.01.2025 16:57
JEF nations to increase Baltic Sea surveillance
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), led by the United Kingdom, will increase surveillance in the Baltic Sea. The JEF has developed a series of JEF Response Options (JRO), designed for different kinds of security events. On 6 January 2025, the JEF Participating Nations announced having activated elements of a JRO to protect undersea infrastructure.
Following the activation, JEF Nations will intensify their exchange of the recognised maritime picture. The aim is to protect critical undersea infrastructure, such as power, gas and telecommunications connections, and to monitor more closely Russia's shadow fleet. The JRO builds on experiences from previous JEF activities. JEF activities are complementary to NATO's and the Participating Nations' own operations in the Baltic Sea.
"The Finnish Defence Forces' recognised maritime picture and its ability to monitor vessels are at a high level. We can further strengthen them through JEF cooperation and bolster our capabilities to identify suspicious vessels even before they enter Finland's neighbouring areas," says Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.
The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a multilateral framework for defence cooperation, formed by ten countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Through their cooperation, the JEF Participating Nations aim to develop military capabilities, prevent various crises and, if necessary, act together in crisis situations. The main operating environment is Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region.
"The JEF's strength is its flexibility and regional focus, and we are working and training together to continuously improve our readiness," Minister Häkkänen says.
Inquiries: Janne Kuusela, Director General, Defence Policy Department, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 300, and Markus Rahja, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 096.