Iceland contributes more to JEF than its size suggests

Iceland’s contribution to Western defence cooperation is greater than its size suggests, the new commander of the Joint Expeditionary Force told mbl.is during his first official visit to the country last week.

Major General Olly Brown, a two-star general in the British Army, took up the post recently. He plans to visit all the countries participating in the JEF over the next three months. The defence partnership brings together the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the five Nordic countries and the three Baltic states. Its main role is to support rapid response and deterrence in the High North. All 10 participating countries are members of NATO.

During his visit, Brown met Jónas G. Allansson, head of the Defence Affairs Office at Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. They discussed the JEF partnership, Iceland’s growing role in it, the development of defence cooperation within the force, and security and defence in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Brown also visited the security area at Keflavík Airport to inspect the facilities.

Asked how valuable a country without a military can be as an ally, Brown said Iceland “punches well above its weight” in cooperation through both the JEF and NATO.

“All the facilities Iceland provides, which allow us to operate P-3 and P-8 aircraft and other airborne equipment, as well as maintain a presence at sea, are of enormous benefit to the JEF and NATO,” he said.

Brown said Iceland’s contribution goes beyond hosting forces from other countries. “I have been in the military for 30 years and have served in many countries alongside Icelanders, who have contributed enormously. That adds to the infrastructure and host-nation support Iceland provides, which is a significant benefit. Iceland is clearly contributing to the work of NATO and the JEF,” he said.

Brown also discussed a recent meeting of JEF defence ministers held in Iceland and plans for the countries’ leaders to meet there next year. He said political-level meetings were crucial to defence cooperation and planning for the force.

“Strengthening the political commitment of these countries, which share values and interests in the Arctic, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea region, is key to giving this part of NATO’s area of influence substance,” Brown said. He added that the participating countries’ clear political support gave him, as JEF commander, the authority to operate with all of them in the operational domain.