June 12, 2026
The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships that 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 report said.
The US plan includes cutting the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets from roughly 150 to 100, as well as reducing maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15 and removing all eight aerial refuelling tanker jets it previously made available to Europe, the report said.
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, the New York Times said, adding that one of two groups of bombers previously assigned for Europe’s defence may also be reallocated.
