Great Britain and France have demonstrated the Combined UK and French Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) concept for the first time, with major bilateral land, sea and air military operations involving more than 5,000 personnel. The maritime element of the CJEF saw HM Ships Ocean, Bulwark and Sutherland and RFA Lyme Bay working together with the Marine Nationale ships Dixmude, Cassard and La Matte Piquet off the south and west coasts, culminating in amphibious landing operations in the Solent and Bristol Channel. The CJEF has been developed since 2010 as a product of the bilateral Lancaster House Treaty and will enable the UK and France, two of the world's biggest militaries, to deploy forces rapidly to conflict zones, or to meet peace-keeping, disaster relief or humanitarian assistance requirements. Exercise Griffin Strike ran concurrently with Exercise Joint Warrior off the coast of Scotland. The bi-annual NATO exercise included 22 ships, four submarines and more than 40 aircraft from 12 NATO member and three partner nations.
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