JEF partner nations, including Lithuania, will train at Nordic Warden exchanging information and provide a synchronised and coordinated response to ensure security of critical undersea infrastructure.
Nordic Warden activities bring together capabilities from all ten JEF nations to monitor shipping activity near important undersea energy and communications routes, and to coordinate the detection and interdiction of any unusual or suspicious activity in their vicinity.
The Response Option Nordic Warden follows a December 2023 deployment, when JEF Defence Ministers activated JEF Response Option 3.2. to respond to the critical infrastructure damage in the Baltic and North Sea regions, namely, the damage to the cable connecting Sweden and Estonia, as well as the pipeline between Finland and Estonia, with real capabilities.
From Lithuania’s perspective, partnership in the JEF is one of the initial means of response to any crisis, including damage to undersea infrastructure. It enables resource sharing, intelligence exchange and joint solutions to mutual regional issues.
The JEF is led by the United Kingdom, its comprises maritime, air and land capabilities contributed by the ten Northern European partners: UK, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. JEF Participant Nations’ geographical proximity, shared maritime borders, and intertwined economies make collaboration in contributing to this security not only beneficial but also essential.
Photo: courtesy of the JEF: JEF Participant Nations’ ships working together during JRO 3.2, December 2023
