Approximately 40 hybrid threat experts from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Helsinki, Finland on 8–10 March during a workshop on countering hybrid threats.
The purpose of the workshop was to exchange information between participating nations on the broad-spectrum influencing environment. The relevance of the topic has been underlined by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The workshop brought together military actors from the JEF countries and the researcher networks of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.
“By training and working together with the JEF countries, we will be better prepared to counter hostile broad-spectrum influencing now and in the future, and this will also improve our common security,” stated Director for Strategy and Defence Colonel Sönke Marahrens from Hybrid CoE.
“JEF builds on strong relationships that have been developed between the participants through decades of working together. Through a shared understanding of the increasingly complex security challenges, we can develop the ability to both recognize and operate in an environment with broad-spectrum influencing,” added Major General Janne Jaakkola, Chief of Plans and Policy, Defence Command Finland.
“This JEF Counter-Hybrid Integration Workshop is more important and relevant than ever before. I’m pleased that we’re able to bring together experts from across the JEF nations to discuss and develop our collective counter-hybrid plans and capabilities,” said Standing Joint Force Commander, Major General Jim Morris.
The Joint Expeditionary Force is a multilateral defence cooperation framework led by the United Kingdom, consisting of ten countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The purpose of JEF cooperation is to develop the military readiness of the participating countries and, if necessary, to work together in crisis situations.
Preventing and countering hybrid threats and broad-spectrum influencing has been an important part of JEF cooperation from the start.
