Overview
- Reuters reported that Washington is coordinating a transfer of the commander posts at NATO’s Joint Force Commands in Naples and Norfolk to European officers, with formal decisions still pending.
- JFC Naples oversees the Mediterranean and Black Sea theaters, while JFC Norfolk is responsible for the Atlantic and Arctic regions.
- The prospective realignment tracks the January 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy, which calls on European allies to assume more responsibility for regional defense.
- U.S. policy chief Elbridge Colby is scheduled to attend the Feb. 12 NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, where he is expected to outline future U.S. force and command plans in Europe, according to Stars and Stripes.
- Separately, multiple NATO sources say Japan will soon announce participation in NATO’s PURL framework to fund non‑lethal equipment for Ukraine such as vehicles and radars, though Tokyo says no agreement is confirmed; Australia and New Zealand joined the mechanism in December 2025.