Hegseth demands NATO 3.0 reset, launches force review as US builds $1.5 trillion arsenal

Hegseth calls for NATO 3.0 reset

At a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Europe must assume primary responsibility for its own conventional defense and help transform NATO into a 'true, hard military alliance', what he called NATO 3.0.

NATO 3.0 is a post-Cold War recognition that the alliance must go back to being a true, hard military alliance with real military capabilities, capable of deterring on the continent and taking a leading role in the conventional defense of Europe.

Force review and US drawdown

Hegseth announced a six-month review of US troops and bases in Europe, warning that 'some countries will fail this test, others will pass with flying colors.' The review comes weeks after the US informed allies that it would pull back a significant slice of planes and ships from NATO's rapid reaction forces.

According to a Reuters tally, the US will cut its contribution of F-15 and F-15E fighters by one-third to 99, halve MQ-4 and MQ-9 drones to 12, and reduce air tankers from 79 to 63. Strategic bombers and aircraft carriers assigned to the rapid reaction pool will drop from two each to one. Maritime patrol aircraft will fall from 26 to 15, destroyers from 17 to 9, and a cruise-missile submarine will be withdrawn entirely.

Some countries will fail this test, others will pass with flying colors.

Burden-shifting to Europe

Hegseth stressed that the reductions are to be backfilled by European allies and Canada. He pointed out that many allies have yet to lay out a credible path to meet the defense spending and capability pledges made at the 2025 Hague summit.

Europe can and must take on the primary responsibility for its conventional defense, as promised at the Hague summit, and in doing so ensure the defense security of future generations. We know our allies are capable of this, and the time is now.

Record US defense investment

Separately, Hegseth said the United States intends to invest a record $1.5 trillion in its own defense capabilities in 2027 as a signal to the world. He described the buildup as an 'arsenal of freedom.'

This sends the right signal to the world that we understand the current threats and that we cannot just talk about them.

He argued that a robust American defense industry protects US interests and also undergirds NATO's collective strength.

Geopolitical context

The remarks were delivered against the backdrop of the ongoing US war with Iran. Hegseth criticized some NATO members for their stance on the conflict and for what he sees as insufficient defense spending. His push for a NATO 3.0 reboot reflects a long-running US demand for European allies to shoulder more of the conventional defense burden as Washington shifts strategic focus.