New York Times: U.S. Cuts F-16, F-15E, and Ships for NATO in Europe

The New York Times, as cited by RaiNews and Il Fatto Quotidiano, says the United States plans a “drastico taglio del numero di caccia e navi militari” available for NATO operations in Europe, including reducing F-16 and F-15E aircraft in Europe from 150 to 100 and cutting maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15.

“The United States is preparing to significantly reduce its military presence in Europe, planning to withdraw about a third of the fighter jets currently supporting NATO operations”

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RaiNews adds that the plan also includes the “ritiro di tutti e otto gli aerei da cisterna” and the “ricollocamento di un sottomarino lanciamissili, di una portaerei e di diverse navi da guerra,” with the intentions communicated to allies at the beginning of June in a document.

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Il Fatto Quotidiano places the move in a broader context of a U.S. disimpegno in Germany announced by the White House in May, and a prior threat of partial troop withdrawals from Italy and Spain tied to support in the war against Iran and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Both outlets link the drawdown to NATO capability limits, with Il Fatto Quotidiano warning it could affect NATO’s ability to monitor Russian submarine traffic or to launch Tomahawk missiles deep into Russian territory.

RaiNews reports that the Pentagon refused to comment on the specific numbers in the document, pointing instead to a more general statement from its Comando Europeo about reducing U.S. commitment in Europe.

The New York Times says the Pentagon “rifiutato di commentare le cifre specifiche contenute nel documento,” and Il Messaggero repeats that the Pentagon referred to a more generic statement from its European Command about reducing U.S. commitment in Europe.

Il Messaggero also reports Trump’s hostility toward Europe, quoting him telling Daniele Compatangelo on La7: “Europa irrilevante,” while he complained that Europe did not provide support in the conflict in Iran.

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Inquirer frames the same reported decision as limiting NATO’s ability to launch long-range strikes and conduct surveillance, and it says the plan was communicated to allies in early June in a written document reviewed by the New York Times.

Inquirer quotes Anton Hofreiter, a German lawmaker, saying: “NATO’s main problem is that, as long as Trump is president, there is no longer any faith that the U.S. would come to the Europeans’ aid in the event of an emergency.”

Il Messaggero adds that NATO’s response is described as “già al lavoro” to compensate for the cut using NATO’s force model, and it says an Ansa source expects the U.S. strategy to be “pensata in modo che l'Europa possa difendersi in futuro.”

U.S. officials in the reporting cited by RaiNews and Il Fatto Quotidiano indicate the drawdown would be carried out “molto presto,” far earlier than European counterparts had expected, raising concerns about how quickly NATO could adjust.

“The United States plans to significantly reduce the number of aircraft and warships it provides for NATO operations in Europe, according to two senior European officials, accelerating American efforts to reduce the protection they have been offering to European allies for eight decades”

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Il Fatto Quotidiano says such an abrupt reduction could have consequences for NATO’s ability to monitor Russian submarine traffic or to launch Tomahawk missiles long-range deep into Russian territory, while Inquirer similarly warns the decision would limit NATO’s ability to conduct reconnaissance.

Inquirer adds that the Pentagon has not publicly revealed the timeline, but U.S. officials have indicated it will take effect very soon, and it quotes Giuseppe Spatafora of the European Union Institute for Security Studies saying the cuts “together they represent a significant posture change and pose challenges to European deterrence readiness across the spectrum.”

The New Voice of Ukraine reports that the United States plans to significantly reduce the number of aircraft and warships it contributes to NATO operations in Europe, citing the New York Times and saying the move would limit NATO’s ability to conduct reconnaissance and carry out long-range strikes.

RaiNews and Il Fatto Quotidiano both describe the potential operational stakes in concrete terms, with Il Fatto Quotidiano warning the reduction could compromise NATO’s capacity to monitor Russian submarine traffic or to launch Tomahawk missiles deep into Russian territory.