US plans to slash fighter jets and warships provided to NATO in Europe, accelerating decade-long drawdown

The United States will cut the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets available to NATO from roughly 150 to 100, shrink the maritime patrol fleet from 26 to 15 aircraft, and remove all eight aerial refuelling tankers stationed in Europe, according to a report by The New York Times citing two senior European officials. The plan also relocates a missile-armed submarine, an aircraft carrier with its escort vessels and embarked air wing, and one of the two strategic bomber task forces previously dedicated to European defence.

What the cuts remove

The tanker withdrawal hits logistics hardest, since European air forces lack organic refuelling capacity for long-range missions. Together with the carrier, submarine, and bomber reassignments, the moves would constrain NATO's ability to launch deep-strike sorties and maintain persistent maritime surveillance, the Times noted. The aircraft and ships are part of the US contribution to the alliance's wartime plans under the burden-sharing framework, where Washington has historically supplied about half of NATO's combat capability.

When allies learned of the plan

The US administration notified allies in early June through a written document, parts of which the newspaper reviewed. German daily Die Welt first reported some details on 4 June; earlier, on 26 May, Der Spiegel disclosed that a Pentagon representative had briefed senior NATO officials on impending reductions. The sources told the Times the changes would begin "much sooner than the Europeans were prepared for," although no exact timeline was made public.

Capability concerns and European reactions

European defence planners worry the tanker gap and the loss of carrier-based strike aircraft will degrade NATO's eastern-flank posture. Experts quoted in Italian daily il Giornale noted the pullback could impair submarine tracking in the North Atlantic and limit the ability to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles deep inside Russian territory. Several governments are now racing to identify priorities for rapid acquisition of long-range fires and unmanned systems, but the unpredictability of Washington's sequencing complicates procurement decisions.

The official NATO line

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart sought to frame the reductions as a structural adjustment. "This change strengthens NATO's defence plans by reducing over-dependence on one ally and is a reflection of a broader shift happening within the alliance," she said, adding that if Europe and Canada invest more, the responsibility can shift. She told Anadolu agency the plan would put the alliance "on a more sustainable footing for the decades to come."

Broader US disengagement

The cutbacks fit into a year-long Trump administration push to reorient US military resources toward Asia and the Middle East while forcing European allies to shoulder a larger share of defence costs. In May, the Pentagon already announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in early June the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara was "undoubtedly the most important in the history of the organisation" and that the alliance needs "profound changes."