A British officer has traditionally filled the role of NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander, in recognition of the UK’s importance in Europe’s defense architecture.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer has been appointed as NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR).
A fighter jet pilot, Stringer will assume his position at a crucial junction in NATO’s history.
The RAF Is a Core Part of NATO
Stringer’s duties will commence in March, and he will be taking over from Admiral Sir Keith Blount, who has been in the position since 2023. The incoming deputy commander is the first Royal Air Force (RAF) officer to hold the position since 1984—and the third RAF officer in history.
“I congratulate Air Chief Marshal John Stringer on his appointment as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Air Chief Marshal Johnny’s deep experience in NATO, including commanding the Allied Air Command, makes him the right person to help lead the alliance,” UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said in a government press release.
Stringer is not new to NATO assignments. For the past three years, the RAF officer has served as the Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command. He has also held senior positions at the UK Joint Forces Command and UK Strategic Command. He started his career as a fighter jet pilot.
“This is a critical time for the defence and security of Europe and the North Atlantic, deterring those who would do us harm and keeping the 1 billion citizens of NATO nations safe,” the incoming deputy commander stated. “I look forward to playing my fullest possible part with our vital allies and partners in maintaining our national and collective security as DSACEUR.”
Historically, the second-in-command in NATO has always been a British officer, in order to signify the United Kingdom’s importance in the creation of the transatlantic alliance at the conclusion of World War II. At the closing of the greatest conflict in modern history, the British military was one of the most powerful in the world—and soon became the third country, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to acquire nuclear weapons.
Today, however, British military power has waned. Indeed, only recently, the most senior officer in the British armed forces told British lawmakers that the British forces are not prepared to fight a large-scale conflict if it erupted. Although the UK maintains one of the most powerful militaries in Europe with global expeditionary capabilities, its power is not the same as it was 40 or 50 years ago. The end of the Cold War and the threat of the Soviet Union brought a period of relaxation. Successive British governments did not hesitate to cut defense spending at the earliest sign of economic difficulties.
In the Age of Trump, NATO’s Path Forward Is Unclear
Stringer’s appointment comes at a crucial point for NATO. Over the past year, the United States has shifted its posture with regard to the transatlantic alliance. Indeed, there has been a rift between the US and the rest of the member states over several issues, including over Ukraine and, most recently, the issue of Greenland.
The United States has rightly been pushing its fellow member states to spend more on collective defense. As the most powerful country in NATO, the US has footed the bulk of the alliance’s defense bill for decades. The rest of NATO, however, highlights differences in strategy and policy to explain the increasing rift in relations with Washington.
The question of Ukraine, for example, shows the different policy objectives between the two parties. The US is pushing for peace without much regard for Ukraine’s considerations. But the European members of NATO continue to support Ukraine and a peace plan that works for the embattled country.
One way or another, Stringer will have a lot on his plate once he assumes his duties!
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Alexandros Michailidis.
