Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Rejected
Joint Expeditionary Force requires credible deployable capabilities for effective grey zone threat combat.
Conclusion
The Joint Expeditionary Force’s freedom to operate independently should allow it to be more responsive and agile in combatting grey zone threats. But it can only do this if it possesses credible, deployable capabilities. Expanding membership of the JEF might also bring benefits. (Conclusion, Paragraph 44)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agreed, acknowledging the need for the JEF to have credible, deployable capabilities, but rejected the recommendation to expand JEF membership, instead highlighting the 'JEF+' mechanism for collaboration.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government partially agrees with this conclusion. We agree that the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) should possess credible, deployable capabilities and the UK must lead by example as the framework nation within the JEF. This should not mean the UK possessing high-readiness full-spectrum capabilities, as the JEF concept was established to cohere resources and address capability gaps. However, to reassure partner nations the UK is dedicated to the defence of the Euro-Atlantic, it must be prepared to act first with credible and deployable capabilities. There are no plans to increase the JEF membership beyond ten. The JEF’s continued enfranchisement depends upon decision making by consensus. ‘JEF+’ is a mechanism that allows any party to collaborate with the JEF at the operational level without the requirement to codify relationships. Canada, the US, Germany, and Poland have all utilised this process, which provides a temporal alignment between like-minded partners to deploy together.