Northern Navies Initiative: Royal Navy and JEF allies move to deepen maritime integration

The Royal Navy and its nine Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies have signed a landmark agreement to strengthen maritime security and collective deterrence across northern Europe, the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea.

The Northern Navies Initiative – which was signed by First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins aboard HMS Prince of Wales (R09) during the International Sea Power Conference 2026 (ISPC26) in Oslo, Norway, on 10 November – aims to bring the ten participating navies closer together operationally, creating a more integrated maritime force that is capable of rapidly responding to new, emerging threats.

The agreement represents a significant step in the UK’s efforts to reinforce European security alongside its northern European allies and partner nations, as geopolitical competition, hostile maritime activities and threats to critical infrastructure across the continent continue to grow.

Commenting on the initiative, Jenkins said: “After nine months of hard work, I’m delighted that the JEF Northern Navies Initiative has today taken a huge step forward. Together, we have shown what is possible when like-minded nations are united by a common purpose. The threats we face are multiplying and we must rise to the challenge before us.”

Bringing Europe’s northern navies together as one integrated fighting force

The Northern Navies Initiative seeks to establish common operating procedures, align training standards, improved joint operational planning and ensure greater compatibility between naval equipment and systems.

The JEF’s ten member nations – comprising the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden – will work towards operating as a coordinated maritime force rather than simply as ten separate national capabilities.

In practical terms, this could allow a Royal Navy frigate to transfer operational responsibility to another JEF navy without disrupting an ongoing mission.

Allied task groups could also coordinate sensors and uncrewed surface/underwater vessels (USV/UUVs) across national boundaries, while warships could access maintenance, refuelling and resupply facilities in partner nations without returning to their home ports.

A key element of the initiative is the development of equipment that is interoperable by design, enabling future autonomous maritime platforms to integrate with allied command-and-control (C2) systems and architecture.

This approach intends to increase operational flexibility, improve the collective use of maritime assets and enable JEF forces to combine capabilities more effectively during periods of heightened geopolitical tension or crises.

Bolstering NATO’s northern flank against new and emerging maritime threats

The agreement also addresses growing concerns over hostile activity below the threshold of armed conflict, particularly threats to undersea infrastructure, seabed activity and other forms of hybrid aggression or warfare.

The strategic importance of the High North is increasing, driven by climate change, expanding economic interests and intensifying geopolitical competition. Protecting maritime routes, energy networks and undersea communications infrastructure is now therefore becoming an increasing critical component of European security.

The initiative is designed to complement NATO rather than replace its existing command structure. It allows JEF navies to act early, rapidly combine capabilities and seamlessly transition into NATO’s C2 architecture if the alliance needs to mobilise at scale.

Alongside the agreement, the Royal Navy is progressing Atlantic Net – a part of its wider Atlantic Bastion programme – which aims to improve the UK’s ability to detect hostile underwater activity and strengthen the protection of its critical maritime infrastructure.

Overall, the signing of the Northern Navies Initiative marks an crucial milestone in the UK’s ambition to reinforce maritime deterrence through closer cooperation with its trusted allies. However, its long-term effectiveness will depend on translating shared commitments into compatible equipment, sustained joint training and demonstrable operational readiness.

For the Royal Navy and its JEF partners, the objective is clear: to create a more connected, responsive and capable northern maritime force that can strengthen NATO’s collective ability to defend the Euro-Atlantic region.