Update: NATO's Atlantic command becomes operational
NATO declared the initial operational capability (IOC) of its first Atlantic command since 2003 during a ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, on 17 September.
JFC Atlantic commander US Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis (right) and his deputy, UK Royal Navy Rear Admiral Andrew Betton cutting the ribbon during the new command’s IOC ceremony. (US Navy/MC Specialist 1st Class Theodore Green)
Pointing out that NATO is a trans-Atlantic alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the North Atlantic as vital for the security of Europe, adding that the command would ensure crucial routes for reinforcements and supplies from North America to Europe remain secure.
Co-located with the US Second Fleet, Joint Force Command (JFC) Norfolk will provide situational awareness, conduct exercises, and draw up operational plans for an ocean area stretching from the US East Coast through the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap to the Arctic.
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