NORFOLK, Va.- NATO is right here in our backyard, and there are plans for its presence to grow in Hampton Roads.
"Because of this new era of collective defense, because of this new regional plan, it will grow," said General Phillipe Lavigne.
General Lavigne told News 3 there's around 850 personnel in our area; he's expecting that number to grow to 1,200. He said they also plan on investing in more training.
"It is impossible to face all these challenges coming from everywhere alone," said Lavigne.
At the annual NATO summit, this year held in Lithuania, topics like reinforcing deterrence and defense, continuing to invest in defense, supporting Ukraine, and a stronger emphasis on information and electronic warfare were all discussed.
"You have to be individually very strong, that means you have to invest in defense, but you have to be as a team very strong," said Lavigne.
General Lavigne said one of the biggest issues NATO is facing is recruiting, especially for the cyber sector.
"We have to build the momentum in order to speed up the implementation of our transformation," said Lavigne.
You can see his full answer pertaining to the importance of the annual summit below. The next summit will be held in Washington D.C. in 2024.
