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Royal Marines return to the Faroe Islands for the first time since the Second World War as UK steps up security efforts
2 October 2026
Royal Marines have returned to the Faroe Islands for the first time since the Second World War as part of bolstered security efforts in the strategically vital Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap.
The UK Commando Force were dispatched to work alongside Danish forces and maritime agencies from the Faroe Islands, strengthening allied security and testing the responses of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) as part of Exercise Lion Protector.
The Faroe Islands, a self-governing country that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, sits in the centre of the GIUK Gap, one of NATO and JEF’s most important maritime approaches as the North Atlantic gateway for Russian ships sailing to and from the Arctic.
The deployment of the Commandos is designed to deepen operational understanding with JEF allies solidifying allies’ ability to react rapidly to events in the region and the ability to work effectively in the deeply complex terrain of the Faroes.
The three forces conducted maritime interdiction operations drills – that’s military parlance for boarding, inspecting and seizing target vessels – specialist coastal landings onto steep and inaccessible terrain, and small boat missions.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Commandant General Royal Marines, said: “Defending the Atlantic is fundamental to our economy, national security and way of life. In troubling times, we cannot be complacent.
“The return of the Royal Marines to the Faroe Islands should send an unequivocal message: the UK, alongside Denmark and our other allies in the Joint Expeditionary Force, stand ready to protect the waters, islands and vital routes that keep our nations secure.”
JEF is made up of ten like-minded nations – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK – who work together to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law through military cooperation.
All nations are currently stepping up their work to reinforce collective security across Northern Europe ahead of a landmark gathering, Atlantic Future Forum and the International Sea Power Conference on HMS Prince of Wales later this autumn, which brings together defence leaders, industry and policymakers to discuss the future of Euro-Atlantic security.
The UK Commando Force deployed its Allied Reaction Force Special Operations Maritime Task Group (SOMTG) to the Faroe Islands for Exercise Lion Protector 2026.
The SOMTG provides NATO with elite troops able to deploy at extremely short notice to carry out missions such as recapturing vessels and oil rigs, as well as covert coastal raids to pave the way for allied amphibious landings.
Within the task group are a range of specialist teams drawn from across the Royal Navy and UK Commando Force who each bring unique skills to the equation – pilots, boarding teams, engineers and boat operators to name but a few.
Lion Protector is the first major workout for the SOMTG, which ultimately proves their ability to deploy rapidly alongside allies.
The Commandos, alongside the Danes and Faroese forces, practised boarding, searching and seizing vessels, techniques in approaching ships, operating with boarding ladders and climbing onto a target.
They then moved onto coastal raiding, manoeuvring around the complex 18-island volcanic archipelago that is defined by basalt layers, extreme vertical drops and a fractured landscape carved out over millennia by glaciers, wind and the sea.
The elite teams setup clifftop observation posts, monitoring maritime traffic routes before conducting cliff ascents.
The exercise marked the first time Royal Marines returned to the Faroes since the Second World War, when the British launched Operation Valentine to occupy the islands and shield them from Nazi invasion and “from all the severities of war” as Winston Churchill said.
With Denmark falling to the Nazis on 9 April 1940, the Royal Navy deployed two destroyers to the Faroese capital of Tórshavn before 250 Royal Marines were landed ashore from HMS Suffolk.
The British stayed until 1945 before handing the islands back to Denmark in a cordial occupation that is still celebrated to this day.
Exercise Lion Protector is a multi-domain JEF workout aimed at rehearsing and refining military response options in the High North and through the Danish Straits into the Baltic Sea. Lion Protector took place between August and October and shows JEF’s presence, ability react and innovation, complementing NATO’s work to deter and defence against aggression in Northern Europe.