In September 2026, the Government of Canada announced its formal application to join the United Kingdom-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a framework designed to enable rapid cooperation among like-minded European and North Atlantic allies without requiring full NATO consensus. The move comes as Canada faces growing security demands in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
In this episode of the Expert Series, LGen (Ret’d) Stuart Skeats, former commander of the JEF’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters, and Dr. Alexander Lanoszka, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, examine what Canadian participation could mean for defence and security.
They discuss the JEF’s relationship with NATO, Canada’s potential contributions in the Arctic, maritime and undersea surveillance, intelligence and information sharing, command and control, and opportunities for deeper defence cooperation with Northern European partners. They also consider the practical challenges of Canada’s limited military capacity, the demands of its Latvia mission, and whether JEF membership can provide meaningful operational benefits while Canada works to rebuild and expand its defence capabilities.
