U.K. leads 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) patrol to maintain security in the High North

THE WATCH STAFF

A United Kingdom-led naval expeditionary force patrolled the Baltic Sea, United Kingdom waters and Norwegian Sea in December 2023 to maintain security in the High North. The mission was a response to prevent further damage to critical infrastructure in the region. Undersea communication and gas cables in the Baltic were targeted in October 2023.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation said evidence points to the cargo ship Newnew Polar Bear, which was in the vicinity when the Balticconnector gas pipeline was cut between Finland and Estonia. Weeks later, the Swedish government said it was opening its own investigation into a communication cable being cut between Estonia and Sweden when the same ship was nearby. The incidents have prompted European governments to act, reported the Independent Barents Observer, an online Norwegian newspaper.

According to the Observer and Radio Free Asia, the Newnew Polar Bear sails under the Hong Kong flag and until recently was operated by its owner, Hainan Xin Xin Yang Shipping Co, Ltd. However, the ship’s most recent sailing permissions from Russia’s Northern Sea Route Administration indicate that the Newnew Polar Bear is now operated by Torgmoll, a Chinese company registered in Russia and well-connected to Moscow. A Russian nuclear-powered ship, the Sevmorput, was also seen in the area at the time of the incident.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is comprised of 10 European nations: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the U.K. The December 2023 mission was conducted at scale with some 29 ships and 11 aircraft from nine JEF participant nations taking part.

JEF nations share the same purpose, values and a common focus on security and stability in the JEF core regions of the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea, according to a November 10, 2023, news release from the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

The group provides a responsive, capable and ready military force that undertakes integrated activities at sea, on land and in the air, across northern Europe. These activities are preventive and proportionate, and demonstrate solidarity, capability, and resolve to stand together for security and stability in the JEF core regions, the release stated.

The JEF is one key part of a globally layered defense in the Arctic and demonstrates the close cooperation and interoperability among Western allies. Ahead of the December mission, a November 28, 2023, joint news release from the defense ministers of the 10 JEF nations highlighted: “This marks the first time a JEF Response Option has been activated. It provides a tangible demonstration of the JEF as a credible contributor to security in Northern Europe and a powerful message of our ability and commitment to bolstering the security of our critical undersea infrastructure and deterrence of hybrid threats. By cooperating through the JEF we are able to find collaborative solutions to common regional security challenges.”