Canada Seeks to Join UK-Led Joint Expeditionary Force
Canada has formally applied to join the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, as Ottawa moves to diversify defence ties away from the United States.
Canada has formally applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, Prime Minister Mark Carney's office announced on Wednesday, in a move aimed at broadening its defence partnerships beyond the United States.
The Joint Expeditionary Force is a rapid response military coalition of ten North Atlantic NATO member states. Its current members are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
In a statement, Carney's office said the Prime Minister had announced the application and welcomed the UK's backing for Canada's participation in the initiative.
Canada is already a member of NATO, but has been pursuing closer military cooperation with European nations as it works to reduce its reliance on the United States.
Earlier, Carney met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in northern England. According to Carney's office, the two leaders discussed opportunities for defence industrial cooperation through the Global Combat Air Programme, an advanced fighter jet project that Canada joined as an observer in July 2026.