The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships it makes available for NATO operations in Europe, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing two senior European officials. The decision would limit NATO’s ability to launch long-range strikes and conduct surveillance.
The U.S. plan includes cutting the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets from roughly 150 to 100, reducing maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15, and removing all eight aerial refuelling tanker jets it previously made available to Europe. It also aims to redeploy a missile-launching submarine and an aircraft carrier, along with several warships and scores of jets that join the carrier’s missions. One of two groups of bombers previously assigned for Europe’s defence may also be reallocated, the report said.
The report could not be verified immediately by the media agencies. NATO and the U.S. Department of Defence did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Eastern Command said in a statement last week that it would “right size” its contributions to the NATO Force Model, without providing further details. Various media agencies reported in May that the U.S. planned to scale back the military capabilities it would make available to alliance allies during a major crisis.
Trump’s Pressure On European Defence
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly accused European governments of underinvesting in their militaries and relying too heavily on U.S. protection, while urging both European and Asian allies to boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP.
The planned reductions would mark a significant shift in Washington’s military posture on the continent and could deepen anxiety among European NATO members already rattled by Trump’s repeated questioning of the alliance’s value and his threats to reduce America’s commitment to European security.
A Moment Of Reckoning For NATO
The reported cuts come ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8, where alliance members are expected to confront deep divisions over burden-sharing, U.S. reliability and the future of transatlantic defence cooperation.
For European capitals that have long depended on American military assets for their security, the prospect of a leaner U.S. contribution raises urgent questions about whether Europe can fill the gap, and how quickly.
(with input from Reuters)
