The Trump administration is planning a significant reduction of the military assets it makes available to NATO in Europe, according to a document reviewed by the New York Times and confirmed by two senior European officials. The plans, communicated to European allies earlier this month in writing, would cut the number of US fighter jets committed to NATO operations from roughly 150 to around 100, reduce maritime surveillance aircraft from 26 to 15, and withdraw all eight aerial refuelling tankers previously stationed in Europe. The US also plans to redeploy a missile-launching submarine, an aircraft carrier with its escort vessels, and one of the two strategic bomber groups previously assigned to European defence.

The reductions would meaningfully diminish NATO's ability to conduct long-range strikes and surveillance across the continent. Specifically, the alliance would lose capacity to monitor Russian submarine traffic or launch long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles deep into Russian territory — capabilities that analysts say carry particular deterrent weight when held by the United States rather than European partners. The Pentagon declined to comment on the specific figures but pointed to a statement by US European Command, issued last week, which broadly acknowledged the intent to scale back commitments. General Alexus G. Grynkewich, the senior US military commander in NATO, said earlier this month that there had been