Royal Navy ‘demoted’ after Nato reshuffle in major blow to Britain | UK | News
Britain will hand over NATO’s central naval command at Northwood on the outskirts of London to an American admiral in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at strengthening US dominance while increasing the responsibilities of European allies that critics described as a “snubbing” of the UK.
In return, a British general will take control of NATO’s joint force command (JFC) in Norfolk, Virginia, which is now headed by a US admiral, alliance sources say. Supporters of the move argue the change still gives Britain a key role as President Trump overhauls the transatlantic alliance.
Norfolk JFC is NATO’s only operational base on US soil. British defense sources noted the growing importance of the position three months ago as its remit expanded to include the Arctic, including Greenland, and secured NATO’s longest land border with Russia.
European allies get bigger military role
“Allies agreed to a new distribution of responsibilities for senior officers across the NATO command structure, in which European allies will play a more significant role in the military leadership of the alliance,” a NATO official said after details of the change were leaked to the French press.
The transfer of Northwood, currently under the command of Vice Admiral Robert Pedre, to an American naval officer represents a historic change for the Royal Navy. The UK has controlled the Marcom central naval command since its establishment in 2012 and has commanded NATO operations at the base since 1953.
French diplomatic sources told digital newspaper La Lettre that the decision meant a demotion for the UK due to cuts, budget shortfalls and the decommissioning of navy ships.
“This is a snub for London, whose navy, weakened after years of disruption, is no longer seen as capable of leading the alliance’s defense at sea,” he wrote in the article.
Arctic operations expand
“Norfolk is a huge deal and covers the High North,” a defense source quoted by The Times said, noting that the JFC’s area of responsibility was expanded to include Finland, Sweden, Greenland and Denmark in December.
Speaking in Berlin on Monday, Trump’s ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, rejected suggestions that the president was hostile to the alliance. “We are not trying to break up NATO,” he said.
“We are not trying to withdraw or reject NATO, but to make NATO stronger so that it can work as intended, as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies.”
