Europeans to fill almost all gaps left by US in NATO defense plans, source says

BERLIN — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO is expected to announce at next week’s summit in Ankara that its European members have now filled nearly all capability gaps left by the United States in the alliance’s defense planning, according to a NATO source speaking to Reuters.

The only significant shortfall remaining is in strategic bombers. The United States has indicated it will make only one aircraft available to NATO in a crisis scenario, instead of the previously committed two, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In May, Washington informed its allies that it would reduce the range of military capabilities it has committed to the transatlantic alliance during a crisis. The decision has raised urgent questions ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara.

The move is described by senior NATO leadership as part of a broader effort to reduce what officials call an “unhealthy co-dependence” on U.S. military assets, as the United States seeks to prepare for the possibility of simultaneous conflicts across multiple global theaters. NATO’s top commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, has previously made this argument.

Earlier in June, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said allied nations were increasing their defense contributions and would cover “a lot” of the remaining gaps, although he did not provide specific details. A NATO spokesperson referred back to those remarks when asked for additional comment.

The United States did not publicly release full details of the reductions. However, according to figures provided to Reuters by a military source, the cuts span several key capabilities, including refueling aircraft, fighter jets, drones, naval vessels, and surveillance platforms.

Under the revised commitments, the number of U.S. F-15 and F-15E fighter jets available to NATO would fall by roughly one-third to 99 aircraft. MQ-4 and MQ-9 Reaper drones would be reduced by half to 12 units. KC-135 and KC-46 refueling aircraft would decline to 63 from 79.

In naval and maritime assets, only one strategic bomber and one aircraft carrier would now be allocated under NATO commitments, instead of two each. Maritime patrol aircraft would decrease to 15 from 26, destroyers would fall to nine from 17, and the sole submarine previously committed to carrying cruise missiles would also be removed from the allocation list.

The adjustments come at a sensitive moment for the alliance, which is already facing internal pressure over burden-sharing and long-term U.S. engagement in European defense. Some European governments have expressed concern that Washington could follow through on repeated warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a potential reduction of America’s role in NATO.

As the Ankara summit approaches, allied leaders are expected to focus heavily on closing remaining capability gaps and reaffirming long-term defense commitments within the alliance. -Reporting by Sabine Siebold, editing by Bart Meijer/Reuters