US May Slash NATO Military Support Amid Trump-Europe Tensions; Fighter Jets, Bombers Could Be Cut

Speculation over the future role of NATO has arisen once more following reports that the US is preparing to reduce the support it provides to the alliance's military in emergencies and conflicts. The controversial news comes in light of worries across Europe that America's commitment to security is slowly being undermined in the region.

According to the German publication Spiegel, the reports suggest that NATO was informed in a private meeting in Brussels of the US intention to limit the availability of several significant military capabilities.

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What Military Support Could Be Reduced?

The reported cuts could affect a wide range of strategic American military assets, including fighter jets, strategic bombers, destroyers, submarines and aerial refuelling aircraft.

The publication has cited figures that may see US fighter commitments to NATO potentially cut by nearly a third and strategic bombers by up to a half, while a drop in the number of US Navy destroyers for NATO operations may be observed. Submarine capabilities will likely no longer be available to NATO in a similar manner as before, as they may not be provided to the alliance at all in the future.

The plan may ultimately result in the strengthening of European military capabilities. According to reports cited by Reuters, Europe may even be forced to make its own reconnaissance drone systems following planned US cutbacks in this arena.

Trump’s Criticism of NATO

The development comes as tensions build up between the US and its European allies under President Donald Trump's presidency. Trump has been very critical of the dependency of NATO members on US support and has consistently advocated for increased defence spending among them. In previous months, Trump has even threatened to withdraw the US from its commitments under NATO and stated plans to redeploy US troops from Germany.

Divisions between the two continents were also exposed after clashes over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and comments made by Trump over Greenland that angered European capitals.

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NATO Responds

Responding to the reports, a NATO spokesperson told Spiegel that NATO was allegedly said to have "over-relied on the United States" for alliance planning and indicated that increases in European defence spending combined with a potential increase in Canadian capabilities may "lead to a reshuffling of the military burden sharing." 

Further details about the proposed restructuring should be released during the NATO force generation conference in early June.

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