The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced it will officially declare operational capability for its newest command, the Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF), at a ceremony in Norfolk on September 17.
The milestone comes after the command’s activation as an international military headquarters in July 2019.
The command was previously created at the 2018 Brussels Summit in response to rising Russian activity in the region.
In achieving operational capability, JFCNF is following the US Navy’s revived 2nd Fleet, which achieved full operational capability in January this year.
Both the 2nd Fleet and the JFCNF will be tasked protecting the North Atlantic strategic lines of communication, deter aggression, contribute to NATO responsiveness, and if necessary project power to defend allies and partners. While the two commands are distinct, they are linked through their mission and shared trans-Atlantic areas of responsibilities.
What is more, US Navy Vice Admiral Andrew “Woody” Lewis is the commander of both forces.
