NATO’s NATO command transition will shift leadership of two major operational headquarters from U.S. officers to European officers over the next few years, the alliance said ahead of a defense ministers meeting this week.
NATO described the change as part of a plan to spread senior leadership responsibilities more evenly, while keeping the top allied military commander in Europe, known as SACEUR, in American hands.
Under the plan, the United Kingdom will assume command of Joint Force Command Norfolk in Virginia, and Italy will take command of Joint Force Command Naples. NATO also said Germany and Poland will share command of Joint Force Command Brunssum on a rotational basis. Once implemented, all three of NATO’s four-star Joint Force Commands would be led by Europeans.
The move comes as President Donald Trump continues to press European allies to contribute more to their own defense. The Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy released in January 2026 says European allies should take primary responsibility for Europe’s defense as the U.S. focuses more on homeland defense and deterring China, according to reporting on the document.
What NATO is changing in its command structure
NATO’s operational command structure includes Joint Force Commands that can lead allied operations during crisis or conflict. NATO said those three four-star commands are Joint Force Command Norfolk, Joint Force Command Naples, and Joint Force Command Brunssum.
NATO’s statement said the United Kingdom and Italy will take over two commands currently led by the United States, while Germany and Poland will share leadership of Brunssum on a rotation. The changes are set to be implemented incrementally, aligned with scheduled personnel rotations, rather than through an abrupt handover.
A Pentagon official said the decision was made jointly by all allies. The official said the goal is to strengthen the alliance by expanding European leadership in European defense and by enhancing European defense capabilities.
NATO command transition and the burden-sharing debate
The NATO command transition is unfolding alongside a wider argument inside the alliance about who should carry the largest share of responsibility for European security. The Trump administration has demanded higher defense spending and more capacity from European allies, while also signaling it wants the U.S. military to concentrate more on threats closer to home and on China’s military rise.
NATO’s announcement seeks to balance that pressure with a reassurance message. In the same statement describing a shift toward more European leadership, NATO emphasized that the United States will retain the SACEUR position, presented as evidence of continued U.S. commitment to NATO’s command-and-control framework.
The politics around the shift will be visible at the NATO Defense Ministerial this week. Reporting on the meeting says Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, the lead author of the new U.S. strategy, is expected to attend in place of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It is the first NATO defense ministerial Hegseth has missed since taking office.
