Canada formally applies to join UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force

Canada is moving to deepen its military and security cooperation with European allies.

The Prime Minister’s Office said on September 16 that Mark Carney announced during a meeting in Liverpool with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham that Canada had formally applied to join the Joint Expeditionary Force, or JEF. Canada also welcomed the United Kingdom’s support for its participation.

The JEF currently consists of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, with the UK serving as framework nation. UK policy documents describe a force able to respond rapidly when required, focused principally on the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region and designed to complement NATO planning.

A formal application does not mean Canada has already become a JEF member. As of publication, no official notice confirming Canada’s admission had been issued; the application still has to proceed through the JEF process.

The leaders also discussed the Global Combat Air Programme, the future of British Army training at CFB Suffield in Alberta, and cooperation on advanced technologies including artificial intelligence.