British general to replace U.S. admiral as head of Norfolk-based NATO command

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times - Friday, July 17, 2026

A British army officer in September will be the first non-American to lead NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk, which runs combat operations in the Atlantic, Northern Europe and Arctic.

Lt. Gen. Nick Perry, currently chief of operations for the British armed forces, will follow U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Doug Perry, who has commanded JFC Norfolk in Virginia since January 2024.

“Lt. Gen. Nick Perry represents the very best of the British military, and I am in no doubt that he will be a superb commander of JFC Norfolk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement last week. “As Europe steps up to build a more European NATO, I am proud that British excellence will be at the heart of its command structure, keeping the UK and the NATO alliance safe in the years ahead.”

JFC Norfolk is one of NATO’s most strategically critical commands and is responsible for securing the Atlantic sea routes linking North America and Europe.

The appointment of Britain’s Perry, scheduled for promotion to full general, comes as European military officers are scheduled to take over all three of NATO’s Joint Force Commands — including those in Italy and the Netherlands.

“I am particularly proud to become the first British officer to command JFC Norfolk, reflecting the United Kingdom’s enduring commitment to NATO,” Gen. Perry said in a statement. “At a time of increasing strategic competition, it is a huge privilege to take command of a warfighting headquarters at the heart of NATO’s collective defense of the Euro-Atlantic.”

Gen. Perry will report directly to U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

“A British officer taking command of Joint Force Command Norfolk from an American is just one of the many examples of European allies taking on a greater leadership role within NATO,” Gen. Grynkewich said in a statement. “This creates more equity within our alliance and is another step towards the fulfillment of ’NATO 3.0,’ which is becoming increasingly existent every day, thanks to the continued investments by Europe and Canada toward our collective security.”

President Trump has pushed for European nations to assume greater leadership roles within NATO and to shoulder more of the alliance’s financial and defense burdens.