Danish and British special forces train on the Faroe Islands

Danish and British special forces conducted over two weeks of training on the Faroe Islands, marking the first land military exercise there since the Cold War ended. The drills, part of the UK-led JEF's Lion Protector exercise, focused on protecting critical infrastructure across the North Atlantic region.

Daniel TrangeledDENMARK05 Oct 2026Original Source

Danish and British special forces have trained on the Faroe Islands for just over two weeks. According to the Danish Armed Forces, it was the first land military exercise on the islands since the end of the Cold War.

The training was part of exercise Lion Protector. Scenarios included defending critical infrastructure on the Faroes against sabotage. The soldiers also practised boarding ships, including civilian vessels. The inspection vessel HDMS Lauge Koch and rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) supported the activity.

The units trained in the islands' distinctive terrain and conditions. Faroese authorities also took part, including Vestmanna Municipality and VØRN, which runs the Faroes' maritime rescue service. Arctic Command and its liaison element on the Faroe Islands supported the exercise.

Lion Protector runs under the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a defence partnership of ten Northern European countries. The exercise series runs from August to October and covers an area from the Arctic and North Atlantic to the Baltic Sea. According to the JEF, its phases include critical infrastructure protection in Iceland.

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Questions and answers generated automatically from the article content.

01What did Danish and British special forces practice during the Faroe Islands exercise?

Danish and British special forces practiced defending critical infrastructure on the Faroe Islands against sabotage and conducted ship-boarding drills, including on civilian vessels. The training lasted just over two weeks as part of exercise Lion Protector, testing units in the islands' distinctive terrain and conditions. Last fact-checked: 2026-10-05.

02Why is this training exercise on the Faroe Islands considered significant?

03Which organizations and assets supported the Lion Protector training on the Faroe Islands?