The US is planning to withdraw significant strike capabilities from Europe, including jets, as part of President Trump’s plan to refocus the US military and force NATO allies to spend more on their defense.
According to Euronews, long-range bombers such as the B-2 and B-52 will be cut, and naval assets including missile launching submarines and aircraft carriers will be repositioned to other theaters.
The number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets available to NATO will be decreased from around 150 to 100, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15.
All eight aerial refuelling tankers will be withdrawn.
Senior NATO personnel have been planning for this eventuality for months, while downplaying the cuts and saying European NATO members are more capable than ever of undertaking their own defense.
Although President Trump has long been a critic of NATO and accused members of failing to pull their weight in terms of defense spending, his criticism has become more vociferous in recent months, since the beginning of the war with Iran.
In March, Trump complained that the US’s NATO allies “don’t want to help” with re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, said “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!,” and warned “We will REMEMBER!”
During a speech at a D-Day memorial earlier this month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth argued for an increased commitment to mutual defense by America’s NATO allies.
“The task was daunting … An impossible mission—a suicidal mission—the mission of free men. … The United States military spearheaded a great crusade to shatter the Nazi war machine and liberate a continent,” he said.
“Each nation pulled its weight; each nation bled. America will lead—and we must—but capable allies must be right there with us, shoulder to shoulder, in the breach, when it matters.”
Secretary Hegseth has insisted NATO members must increase their defense spending well beyond the mandatory 2%, and said the US will no longer tolerate “imbalanced relationships” or “free-riding.”
He has called for a “NATO 3.0” that focuses on warfighting, with Europe providing the bulk of support for Ukraine and investing in its own military capabilities.
5 Responses
Bey cut funding to israel,good start, amd doge checks, how bout tarriffs checks
not Nato, its callef gayto
So Germany, the father of all advanced technology (medical and otherwise) will step up to help Nato destroy Russia. The dragon recovers from its wounds, Berlin is like a well full of snakes. Good luck to Russia, I’m sure their intelligence services are aware of the switch up.
they gonna shove living snakes up rectums????? otherwise , I withdrawl
Joke time:
…He has called for a “NATO 3.0” that focuses on warfighting,
Like the way it is “forceful and emphatic” such as in iran?
Lip service.
Trump is just protecting the enemies war machined oil infrastructures for his buddies to loot.
You can not defeat the enemy when you allow them the capability to generate cash flow to buy more weapons.
And that’s all you are really doing.
Aiding and abetting the enemy.