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Royal Navy hands over command of NATO’s new Atlantic force after laying down the battleplan
1 July 2025
The Royal Navy has completed its command of NATO’s new Atlantic ‘theatre’ by laying down the battleplan for keeping the sea lanes open.
Over the past 12 months the Commander UK Strike Force’s staff have been in charge of the alliance’s Commander Task Force Atlantic – responsible for ensuring shipping safely flows into European ports from the rest of the world.
CTF Atlantic is one of five regional forces/commands established by NATO to meet the challenges posed by the geopolitical situation and increasing threats to the alliance and wider global security.
It disbanded its long-standing principal High Readiness Force and created five smaller ‘Commander Task Forces’, each responsible for five key maritime regions: Atlantic, North, Mediterranean, Baltic, and Black Sea.
Based on the UK Strike Force’s staff experience and knowledge, NATO asked the Royal Navy to take over inaugural leadership in the Atlantic, with particular responsibility for securing the safe passage of reinforcement shipping into Europe in the event of a conflict with Russia.
Over the past 12 months the 100-strong CSF staff based in Portsmouth and comprising personnel from all three Services, civilians and NATO allies, have drawn up detailed plans – a concept of operations or CONOPS – to safeguard the most important sea lines of communication and the shipping using them in the event of an international crisis, or even conflict.
The plans have been drawn up in collaboration with NATO allies – who will take it in turns to lead the Atlantic force and will continually adapt the instructions to meet new challenges and situations, not least the modernisation of the Russian Fleet, which is undergoing a $100bn transformation.
The recently-published Strategic Defence Review firmly puts NATO at the heart of UK Defence policy and it is a privilege for CSF to act as the fulcrum of the Royal Navy’s ever-growing commitment to NATO.
“The recently-published Strategic Defence Review firmly puts NATO at the heart of UK Defence policy and it is a privilege for CSF to act as the fulcrum of the Royal Navy’s ever-growing commitment to NATO,” said CSF Chief-of-Staff Colonel Andy Dow RM.
“Made even more complex by the current global security situation, the threat we face is clear – as is the importance of the Task Force Atlantic Mission. CSF is at the centre of a Navy which leads, a Navy which fights and a Navy which wins.”
The Italians have formally taken charge as of today, following a short handover ceremony aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth Naval Base, where Commander CSF Rear Admiral Rob Pedre transferred authority to Commander Italian Maritime Force Rear Admiral Andrea Petroni.
Commander UK Strike Force – which is the Royal Navy’s most senior ‘fighting’ staff for directing operations – is due to take the reins of CTF Atlantic again in 2028.
The pace does not relent for the Strike Force staff, however, as they assume other NATO duties, leading the multi-national Allied Reaction Force (Maritime), with UK carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as its command ship/floating headquarters.
The force is expected to respond to any situation at sea which NATO’s Supreme Allied Command in Europe, based at Mons in Belgium, decides needs a powerful naval response.