The United States plans to significantly reduce the number of military aircraft and warships it makes available to NATO operations in Europe, according to two senior European officials. This move accelerates Washington’s efforts to scale back the defense protection it has provided to European allies for nearly eight decades.
The decision is expected to limit NATO’s capacity to conduct long-range strikes and surveillance operations. The plan was communicated to allies in early June through an official document, parts of which were reviewed by The New York Times. The European officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the military plans.
Key Reductions Outlined in the US Plan:
- Fighter Jets: Reducing the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter aircraft from approximately 150 down to 100.
- Maritime Surveillance & Refueling: Cutting maritime patrol aircraft from 26 to 15 and completely withdrawing all eight aerial refueling tanker aircraft previously assigned to Europe.
- Naval Forces: Redeploying a guided-missile submarine and an aircraft carrier, along with several warships and dozens of aircraft participating in its missions.
- Strategic Bombers: Redeploying one of the two bomber groups previously designated for the defense of Europe.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the specific figures detailed in the document, referring instead to a general statement issued last week by the US European Command regarding plans to reduce commitments in Europe.
Shifting Focus to the Indo-Pacific
These details, some of which were initially reported by the German media outlet Die Welt, offer the clearest picture yet of the scale of the Trump administration’s ongoing military drawdown within NATO. The military alliance, established after World War II, is still viewed by European nations as essential for deterring Russia.
While the Pentagon has not yet released a public timeline for implementing the plan, US officials have signaled that the changes will take effect very quickly—much sooner than European allies had anticipated.
Experts note that such a reduction will impact NATO’s ability to monitor Russian submarine movements or launch long-range missiles, such as Tomahawks, deep into Russian territory. While European nations possess similar missile capabilities, analysts emphasize that the deterrent effect is significantly stronger when these systems are controlled directly by the United States.
President Trump has criticized the financial and military burden the US carries within NATO for years, repeatedly demanding that Europe invest more in its own defense.
The details of this reduction plan were communicated privately just as top US defense officials were speaking publicly about the strategic necessity of redeploying forces toward the Indo-Pacific region.
General Alexus G. Grynkewich, commander of US European Command and NATO’s top military commander, stated in early June that “there has been an unhealthy interdependence of the NATO force model on US forces.” He added that President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other officials have been clear that this situation must change, driven by the potential for simultaneous conflicts in multiple global regions.
Source: The New York Times