US plans major cut to jets, warships for NATO operations in Europe, NYT reports

The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships 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 U.S. plan includes cutting the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter jets from roughly 150 to 100, reducing maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15, and removing all eight aerial refueling tanker jets it previously made available to Europe, the report said.

The U.S. 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 defense may also be reallocated.

“Historically there has been an over-reliance on U.S. forces and capabilities,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told Reuters, adding that as Europe and Canada invest more in defense and develop greater capabilities, the balance of responsibility can shift.

This would strengthen NATO’s defense by reducing reliance on a single ally and reflect a broader change happening within the alliance, Hart said in an emailed statement.

The U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The U.S. European Command said in a statement last week that it would “rightsize” its contributions to the NATO Force Model, without providing further details.

Reuters reported in May that the U.S. planned to scale back the military capabilities it would make available to its NATO allies during a major crisis.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly accused European governments of underinvesting in ​their militaries and relying too heavily on U.S. protection, while urging both Europe and Asian allies ⁠to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP.

据《纽约时报》周五报道，两位欧洲高级官员透露，美国计划大幅减少其向北约在欧洲的行动提供的飞机和军舰数量。

报告称，该决定将限制北约发动远程打击和进行侦察的能力。

报告称，美国的计划包括将F-16和F-15E战斗机的数量从大约150架削减到100架，将海上侦察机的数量从26架减少到15架，并撤回之前提供给欧洲的所有8架空中加油机。

《纽约时报》报道称，美国还计划重新部署一艘导弹潜艇和一艘航空母舰，以及几艘军舰和数十架加入航母任务的喷气式飞机，并补充说，此前分配给欧洲防御的两组轰炸机中的一组也可能被重新分配。

北约发言人艾莉森·哈特告诉路透社：“历史上，我们一直过度依赖美国的军队和能力。”她补充说，随着欧洲和加拿大加大国防投入并发展更强大的能力，责任平衡可能会发生转变。

哈特在一份电子邮件声明中表示，这将通过减少对单一盟友的依赖来加强北约的防御，并反映出联盟内部正在发生的更广泛的变化。

美国国防部尚未对此事作出回应。

美国欧洲司令部上周在一份声明中表示，将“调整”其对北约部队模式的贡献规模，但没有提供更多细节。

路透社5月份报道称，美国计划在重大危机期间缩减向北约盟国提供的军事能力。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的政府一再指责欧洲各国政府对本国军队投资不足，过度依赖美国的保护，同时敦促欧洲及其亚洲盟友将国防开支提高到国内生产总值的3.5%。