Sweden’s Top Military Leaders Visit Norfolk Operational Headquarters during NATO’s 75th anniversary
05 April 2024
Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Va. -- The top naval and air force leaders from NATO’s newest member made their first official visit to U.S. 2nd Fleet and Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) headquarters , one day after NATO 75th anniversary.
Swedish Rear Adm. Ewa Skoog Haslum, Chief of Swedish Naval Operations, and Swedish Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman, Chief of the Swedish Air Force, met with Vice Adm. Doug Perry, Commander of both U.S. 2nd Fleet and JFCNF, which is NATO’s only operational command based in North America.
“Sweden’s accession to NATO has fortified our collective global presence and security,” said Perry. “As a part of NATO, it’s important that our newest member is fully integrated and understands the resources that JFCNF and the U.S. Navy bring to defending the Atlantic and the Arctic. Even before Sweden’s accession, we have always considered them a key partner and in the Arctic.”
A testament to Sweden’s integration, Swedish forces have been participating in the largest NATO exercise in decades, Steadfast Defender 2024, during which Sweden became a member of NATO’s coalition, March 8.
During the maritime portions of Steadfast Defender 2024, Swedish marines joined French and Finnish forces as they embarked USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), working with U.S. Sailors, to conduct a series of amphibious exercises. Swedish forces were able to integrate with NATO maritime forces and successfully execute mission objectives in the Arctic Circle.
“Sweden joined Steadfast Defender as a partner and finished as an ally, and we are now more capable than ever to protect every inch of NATO territory,” said Perry. “I am honored to have met with our newest allies, as we work together to uphold our commitments to global security and peace.”
April 4, 2024 marked 75 years since the signing of the Alliance’s founding document, the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO is a Transatlantic alliance of 32 like-minded North American and European countries securing peace since 1949. The signing of treaty and the subsequent creation of NATO marked a fundamental transformation in U.S. foreign and defense policy by committing the United States to an ongoing military role in Europe.
Since 1949, the Alliance has grown from 12 to 32 nations, encompassing one billion people on both sides of the Atlantic. Since then, NATO has ensured peace, democracy and prosperity for its members, and all NATO nations remain committed to the collective defense of all Allied territories in North America and Europe.
JFCNF provides a critical capability to Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s (SACEUR) operational responsibilities. It was born out of the Allied adaptation to a changing security environment that emphasizes the Transatlantic link as a critical domain. As an organization governed by an international Memorandum of Understanding, it brings with it the ability to act early in order to ensure a joint deterrent effect and improve the responsiveness of NATO.
U.S. 2nd Fleet, re-established in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime ready forces to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.
For more U.S. 2nd Fleet news and photos, visit facebook.com/US2ndFleet, https://www.c2f.usff.navy.mil/, X - @US2ndFleet, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/commander-u-s-2nd-fleet.