The United States plans to significantly reduce the number of aircraft and ships provided for NATO operations in Europe. The corresponding plan involves decreasing the U.S. aviation and naval presence within the Alliance. This was reported by The New York Times, citing European officials, as relayed by UNN.
Details
As the publication notes, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump intends to reduce the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets that can be deployed for NATO operations in Europe from approximately 150 to 100 units.
In addition, the U.S. plans to reduce the number of maritime surveillance aircraft from 26 to 15, as well as completely remove eight tanker aircraft from the European theater that were previously available for the Alliance's needs.
According to The New York Times, Washington also intends to redeploy a missile-armed submarine, an aircraft carrier, several warships, and part of the aviation that is part of a carrier strike group. One of the two strategic bomber groups currently allocated for the defense of Europe may also be reduced.
NATO stated that such steps align with the general trend toward increasing the defense capabilities of European allies.
"Historically, there has been an over-reliance on American forces and capabilities. As Europe and Canada invest more in their own defense, the balance of responsibility can shift,"
At the same time, U.S. European Command previously reported an intention to "optimize" its contribution to NATO's new force model, though without providing specific details.
According to Reuters, the reduction of the American military presence could limit NATO's capabilities for conducting long-range strikes and reconnaissance operations in Europe.
Europe's trust in the US has collapsed to a historic low of 11% - poll13.06.26, 08:19