By the Danish Defence Command
As part of exercise Lion Protector 26, Danish and British soldiers trained together in scenarios including preventing sabotage of critical infrastructure in the Faroe Islands. The exercise marks the first land-based military exercise on the islands since the end of the Cold War and allowed for training in the unique geography and terrain of the Faroe Islands, including some rough weather conditions.
Danish and British units worked closely with Faroese authorities and actors, including the Municipality of Vestmanna and VØRN. VØRN operates the Faroese maritime rescue service and played an active role in supporting the exercise. Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command and its liaison element in the Faroe Islands also supported the exercise.
British soldiers train in ship boarding. Photo: Christian Sundsdal / Danish Defence
The exercise series Lion Protector is conducted within the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) defence partnership, a collaboration between ten Northern European nations. The purpose of the JEF is to ensure cooperation and coordination among the participating countries and to facilitate a rapid, joint response to security challenges in NATO’s northern regions, including the Arctic and the Baltic area. The JEF complements NATO’s collective security system.
The training exercises off the Faroe Islands also involved the use of civilian vessels. Photo: Christian Sundsdal / Danish Defence
Lion Protector 26 runs from August to October across a geographical area extending from the Arctic and the North Atlantic to the Baltic Sea, involving soldiers from all branches of the armed forces. The Baltic Express operation – which took place in August and involved escorting ships carrying equipment for the Danish troops in Latvia – was also part of Exercise Lion Protector 26.
Read the article: The combat battalion has arrived in Latvia.
The Faroese landscape and climate added extra value to the exercise. Photo: Christian Sundsdal / Danish Defence