NATO strengthens its southern flank with new headquarters in Florence

The Atlantic Alliance continues to consolidate its presence on Europe's southern flank with the creation of a new ground command center. The Multinational Division South (MND-S), based in Florence, will operate in close coordination with other structures already present in Italy, such as the JFC in Naples and the NRDC in Solbiate Olona, strengthening Italy's strategic role in the Mediterranean area.

A new command base for Mediterranean operations

The new headquarters will be located in the Caserma PredieriThe new NATO-led NATO Mediterranean Operations Center in Florence will be dedicated to land operations in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. This initiative is part of NATO's renewed strategic interest in the wider Mediterranean, due to the growing instability in the Balkans, the influence of extra-regional powers and the humanitarian crises in North Africa and the Sahel.

The MND-S will have operational functions for planning and executing multinational land activities, with command and control (C2) capability in accordance with NATO standards. It will be staffed by military personnel from several allied countries and will be capable of conducting operations in times of crisis, as well as participating in multinational exercises.

A key node in the allied logistics network

The location of the headquarters in Tuscany also responds to a logistical logic. The proximity of key infrastructures such as Camp DarbyThe new structure will be able to act as a logistic node of great value for future operations. In addition, the MND-S will be able to support, when delegated, higher structures of the NATO chain of command.

Italy, a pillar of the allied system in the South

Italy currently hosts some of the Alliance's most relevant commands in the southern area: the Naples JFCresponsible for strategic operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East; and the NRDC-ITA in Solbiate Olona, a rapid deployment corps specialized in ground operations.

With the arrival of the Multinational Division South in Florence, the allied apparatus is reinforced with a new intermediate operational layer that does not replace, but rather complements existing structures, thereby consolidating Italy's role as the world's leading key player for NATO's southern flank security.

Source: https://formiche.net/2025/05/nato-fianco-sud-firenze-multinational-divisione/#content