US to cut fighter jets, warships for NATO in Europe
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — An F-35 Lightning II prepares to land at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 19, 2017. (DVIDS)
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 refuelling 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 defence 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 defence and develop greater capabilities, the balance of responsibility can shift.
This would strengthen NATO’s defence 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 alliance 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 defence spending to 3.5% of GDP.
(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru, with additional reporting by Angela Christy M; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Kate Mayberry and Tom Hogue // REUTERS)
