BRUSSELS, June 17 (Reuters) - Other NATO members have stepped up their contributions to the alliance's crisis forces, compensating for many of the gaps left by U.S. reductions in its commitments, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
U.S. Reductions Prompt Allied Response
The United States informed its allies last month that it had decided to reduce the pool of national military capabilities committed to the transatlantic alliance in a crisis, raising urgent questions as leaders prepare for a NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
“There are ... areas that require more work but the overall picture is looking good,” Rutte told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels ahead of a meeting of alliance defense ministers on Thursday. He did not provide further details.
U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top commander and the head of U.S. forces in Europe, said this month that Washington expects European allies and Canada to quickly increase the number of aircraft and ships they commit to the alliance’s defense plans.
Scope of U.S. Cuts
The U.S. did not publicly disclose details of its reductions, but they cover a wide range of forces, from refueling aircraft to fighter jets, drones, and ships, according to figures provided to Reuters by a military source.
- The number of U.S. F-15 and F-15E fighter jets available to NATO will fall by a third to 99.
- The number of MQ-4 and MQ-9 Reaper drones will be halved to 12.
- KC-135 and KC-46 refueling aircraft will decrease to 63 from 79.
- Only one strategic bomber and one aircraft carrier will be allocated, instead of two.
- Maritime patrol aircraft will drop to 15 from 26.
- Destroyers will fall to nine from 17.
- The only submarine carrying cruise missiles is also cut from the commitments.
The NATO alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may fulfill repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw.
Reporting by Lili Bayer and Sabine Siebold, editing by Bart Meijer
