Kutse

General Sir Gwyn Jenkins KCB OBE ADC RM

First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff 3 Deck, Navy Command Headquarters Leach Building HMS Excellent, Whale Island Portsmouth, PO2 8BY Tel: +44 303379 9826

Cdre Ivo Värk Commander of the Estonian Navy By Email 12 February 2026 Dear Ivo, I am pleased to invite you to the Joint Expeditionary Force’s Chiefs of Navy (JEF ChoNs) Conference, taking place in London on 22 - 23 April 2026. With security threats intensifying and geopolitical uncertainty on the rise, the need for a coherent, unified, and proactive naval posture across the High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea has never been more pressing. As a coalition of like-minded nations, united by shared democratic values, our Navies uniquely positioned to provide decision makers with agile and timely response options, complementing NATO and strengthening regional resilience. This conference will bring together CHoNs from across the JEF to address the shared threat within our region. Discussions will focus on the operational planning, readiness, capability collaboration and training opportunities. The sessions will be output-focused, ensuring a coordinated and collective approach to these issues. The conference will commence on the evening of 22 April with the Admiral Sir Henry Leach Lecture at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. This gathering will bring together senior stakeholders from across the defence and security community and feature a panel discussion, moderated by a VIP speaker, to set the strategic context for the following day’s activities. On 23 April, the conference will continue in a ChoNs-only discussion, held in the Ministry of Defence. This will be a focused, outcome-driven day, providing an opportunity for CHoNs to engage in substantive discussions and agree on actionable measures to strengthen our collective maritime security. I hope you will be able to join us for this important event. Please RSVP by 28 February to NAVY- [email protected]. Further details, including timings and access arrangements, will follow in due course.