US plans to halve NATO bomber support

Why it matters

The Trump administration has begun telling NATO allies it plans to reduce the pool of U.S. military forces available to the alliance in a major crisis, according to Reuters and other reports published in May. The move centers on the NATO Force Model, the framework under which allies identify forces that can be activated during conflict or another emergency. Reuters reported on May 20 that Washington was preparing to brief allies on the change, and a May 26 follow-up citing Spiegel said the cuts would include aircraft and naval assets. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said such a shift was “to be expected” as the alliance works to reduce dependence on the United States. ### What exactly is being cut from the U.S. side? Spiegel, as cited by Reuters on May 26, reported that the United States aims to provide only half the previous number of strategic bombers assigned to NATO’s crisis pool. The same report said fighter-jet commitments would fall by about one-third, fewer destroyers would be available, and the U.S. would no longer provide submarines to the alliance under those commitments. Reuters also reported that Europe would have to provide its own reconnaissance drones, while the United States would scale back armed drone support. (usnews.com) Three sources familiar with the planning told Reuters on May 20 that the Pentagon had decided to “significantly scale down” its commitment to the force pool, though the precise wartime composition remains classified. Reuters said several details were still unclear, including how quickly the Pentagon would shift those responsibilities onto European allies. (defensenews.com) ### What is the NATO Force Model, and why does it matter here? NATO says the Force Model is the system through which allies organize, manage and assign national forces for peacetime, crisis and conflict. The alliance says the model replaced the older NATO Response Force and more than tripled the number of high-readiness forces potentially available to NATO. It is built around three readiness tiers, ranging from forces ready in 0-10 days to those available in 30-180 days. (usnews.com) NATO says allies designate forces for Supreme Allied Commander Europe and also identify a larger pool that can be deployed in a crisis or conflict. That makes the U.S. change more than a budget signal: it affects the list of specific capabilities NATO planners expect to call on if a member is attacked or a major emergency develops. That is an inference from how NATO describes the model’s role in collective defense planning. (nato.int) ### Who delivered the message to allies? Reuters reported on May 20 that the Pentagon planned to announce the change at a Friday meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels. The report said Alex Velez-Green, a key aide to Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, would likely represent the United States. (nato.int) Reuters reported on May 26, citing Spiegel, that an envoy for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed senior officials from member states at NATO headquarters in Brussels late last week. Spiegel identified Velez-Green as the U.S. envoy who described some of the planned reductions in the closed-door meeting. (usnews.com) ### What have NATO and U.S. officials said in public? Mark Rutte told reporters in Brussels, according to Reuters, that he could not disclose the coming U.S. announcement but said it was “to be expected.” Reuters quoted him as saying it was “only right” as the alliance seeks to end “the over-reliance... on one ally” for its defense. (defensenews.com) Elbridge Colby has said publicly that the United States would continue to use its nuclear weapons to protect NATO members even as European allies take the lead on conventional forces, Reuters reported. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment in the reports published May 20 and May 26. (usnews.com) ### When will allies learn the full shape of the changes? Spiegel, as cited by Reuters on May 26, said the United States would provide further details at a force-generation conference in early June. Reuters also reported that adjusting the NATO Force Model had become a priority for Colby’s team ahead of the next NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey in July. Those meetings are the next points at which allies are expected to press for timelines, replacement forces and the exact capabilities Europe and Canada will need to fill. (usnews.com) (defensenews.com)

Key numbers

• Donald Trump's administration told NATO allies in May 2026 it plans to shrink U.S.
• Spiegel, cited by Reuters on May 26, said U.S.
• Reuters reported on May 20 that Washington was preparing to brief allies on the change, and a May 26 follow-up citing Spiegel said the cuts would include aircraft and naval assets.
• Spiegel, as cited by Reuters on May 26, reported that the United States aims to provide only half the previous number of strategic bombers assigned to NATO’s crisis pool.

What happens next

• The Trump administration has begun telling NATO allies it plans to reduce the pool of U.S.
• military forces available to the alliance in a major crisis, according to Reuters and other reports published in May.
• Reuters reported on May 20 that Washington was preparing to brief allies on the change, and a May 26 follow-up citing Spiegel said the cuts would include aircraft and naval assets.

Sources

• usnews.com
• defensenews.com
• nato.int

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