NORFOLK, Virginia — Admiral Pierre Vandier succeeded General Philippe Lavigne as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation during a change of command ceremony held today in Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America.
Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chair of NATO’s Military Committee, presided over the ceremony, emphasizing the vital strategic importance played by Allied Command Transformation in today’s Alliance. The Military Committee is the senior military authority in NATO and is the primary source of military advice to the North Atlantic Council and gives direction to the two Strategic Commanders.
Allied Command Transformation plays an invaluable role in ensuring that the Alliance safeguards the security and interests of its members against both the current threats and challenges we face today, as well as those that may arise in the future and beyond our present imagination. Allied Command Transformation is a symbol of NATO’s confident embrace of the future and its challenges.
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee
The Supreme Allied Commander Transformation is one of NATO’s two strategic commanders. Established in 2003, Allied Command Transformation is responsible for ensuring that the Alliance has the necessary intellectual capacity, capabilities, education, and training to maintain a military advantage over any adversary. The Command helps guarantee the relevance of NATO’s warfighting capabilities, provides an invaluable understanding of current and future security challenges, and contributes to the development of NATO doctrine, concepts and interoperability standards.
In a departing message to General Lavigne, Admiral Bauer shared that “we have been fortunate to count on a leader of your calibre to guide ACT’s work during such an important strategic shift from Crisis Management to Collective Defence.” He continued, “with your keen intellect, strategic vision, and infectious enthusiasm, you manage to make sure everybody who crosses your path wants to join your team.”
Before the symbolic passing of the command’s flag to his successor, General Lavigne reminded guests that during his time at the command he tried to convey one basic message: “What is at stake is our peace and security. Our futures and our children’s future. So that they, one day, will be able to take decisions freely, in societies united by a shared set of values.”
General Lavigne continued by speaking directly to his staff by conveying how they embodied the core messages in one of the strategic concepts developed under his tenure, the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept: “You showed everyone how you could outthink, with outstanding work on multiple concepts. How to out-excel by turning by providing win-win NATO support to Ukraine in record time. How to outpace by being the first in NATO to move to the Cloud. How to out-partner by building networks and communities of interest across the Alliance, including with innovators in Academia and Industry.”
Admiral Pierre Vandier, a seasoned French naval officer, has served in variety of leadership roles throughout his career. His operational combat experience has forged a unique blend of strategic vision and tactical acumen which will suit him well leading one of NATO’s two strategic commands. On June 20th 2024, NATO’s North Atlantic Council approved his nomination to the post of Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
During his first address to Allied Command Transformation as their Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral Vandier set forth his vision for the command: “For all of us here, maintaining our military credibility calls for an extraordinary effort to modernize our training; aggregate new technologies; and invent new combat tactics that will give us operational superiority in a context of rapid global rearmament.” He continued by stressing that his “commitment, our collective commitment, is to provide the most efficient tools and procedures that will give them operational success in conflict and war.”
As Admiral Vandier takes the helm of Allied Command Transformation, he follows in the footsteps of General Lavigne, whose innovative leadership and strategic vision have significantly strengthened NATO’s capabilities. Vandier’s focus on modernization and technological advancement will ensure that Allied Command Transformation remains a vital asset for NATO as it faces new and greater security challenges across the Alliance.