In 2009 a French lieutenant general took command from the previous US Navy admiral who had filled the post for a number of years.

The commander was a U.S. Navy rear admiral who also served as chief of the Military Assistance and Advisory Group in Lisbon.

[3] In 1975 IBERLANT was described as 'probably of greater symbolic value to Portugal than of military value to NATO' in internal cables of the U.S. Department of State.

Commanders during this period included Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckley and Robert Erly of the U.S. Navy.

In 1982 NATO agreed to the upgrading of IBERLANT into a Major Subordinate Command (MSC), becoming Commander-in-Chief Iberian Atlantic Area (CINCIBERLANT).

[9] In 2009 Joint Command Lisbon was responsible for providing assistance to the African Union on request, principally as regards airlift for the mission in Darfur; preparing staff to command the NATO Response Force; mounting a sea-based Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters; and support for cooperation and dialogue under the Partnership for Peace and Mediterranean Dialogue programmes.