British Army General Nick Perry has taken command of NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk, marking the first time a British and European officer has led the US-based headquarters responsible for the Arctic, North Atlantic and Nordic region.
The change of command ceremony was held aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, one of the largest naval bases in the world.
JFC Norfolk was established in 2019 and has been led by the United States since its creation. The command became fully operational in 2021 and is responsible for a vast area stretching across the North Atlantic and Arctic, including NATO’s northern approaches.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, said the command covers a significant share of the Alliance’s territory and maritime space.
For Perry, one of the key priorities will be protecting NATO territory, securing the approaches to the Atlantic and maintaining surveillance of the increasingly accessible Arctic.
“The assumptions that many of us enjoyed for decades can no longer be taken for granted,” Perry said during the ceremony, stressing the importance of deterrence, readiness and military preparedness.
Norfolk expands its NATO role
Naval Station Norfolk is home to more than 50 vessels and serves as a major hub for US naval operations on the East Coast. The city is also home to two NATO commands: JFC Norfolk and Allied Command Transformation.
The headquarters has expanded significantly in recent years. When US Navy Vice Admiral Doug Perry took command in January 2024, JFC Norfolk had 27 military and civilian personnel from 14 allied countries.
The number has since grown to 514 personnel from 26 NATO member states.
A major development under Perry’s leadership was the integration of the Nordic countries into the command. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom were brought together under JFC Norfolk in December 2025 as part of NATO’s new command structure.
JFC Norfolk also oversees Arctic Sentry, NATO’s enhanced vigilance activity in the Arctic, which aims to strengthen and coordinate the Alliance’s presence in the region.
Europeans take greater role in NATO command
Perry’s appointment is part of a broader redistribution of senior military leadership positions within NATO.
Earlier this year, member states agreed that European allies should take a greater role in the Alliance’s military leadership. Under the new arrangement, European officers will command all three of NATO’s joint force commands: JFC Norfolk, JFC Naples in Italy and JFC Brunssum in the Netherlands.
Grynkewich described the change as an example of European allies taking greater responsibility within NATO.
The United States will retain command of NATO’s three theater component commands, including Allied Maritime Command, Allied Land Command and Allied Air Command.
Washington will also continue to hold the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, currently occupied by Grynkewich, to whom JFC Norfolk reports directly.
The leadership transition at JFC Norfolk is the first of the three changes, with the transfer of command at JFC Naples expected to take place in the coming years.
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