The United States plans to significantly reduce the number of NATO troops that can be mobilized and halve the number of strategic bombers

The United States plans to significantly reduce the military forces that can be deployed by NATO in times of crisis, including strategic bombers, fighter jets, destroyers, submarines and aerial refueling aircraft, among other critical assets.

Last week, the special envoy of US Secretary of Defense Hedges, Alexander Velez-Green, briefed senior officials of the member states at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on the relevant plans.

The German magazine "Der Spiegel" reported that the United States plans to halve the number of strategic bombers that can be deployed by NATO, reduce the number of fighter jets by about one-third, and no longer provide submarines to NATO; the number of available guided missile destroyers for deployment by the US Navy will also decrease.

At the same time, European allies will be required to independently provide reconnaissance drone capabilities in the future, and the scale of the armed drones and aerial refueling aircraft provided by the US will also be reduced.

Reuters previously quoted three sources as saying that the Trump administration is preparing to inform NATO allies that it will reduce the scope of US military capabilities that can be mobilized by the alliance in times of crisis. The US is expected to disclose more details at the NATO force generation meeting scheduled for early June.

NATO is currently facing the most severe test of transatlantic relations in recent years.

Trump has long criticized European allies for their insufficient defense spending and has even promised to withdraw thousands of US troops from Germany. Recently, he also criticized European countries for not providing adequate support for the restoration of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, and stated that he is considering whether the US should continue to fulfill its obligations as a member of NATO's collective defense.

The NATO spokesperson responded to "Der Spiegel" saying that the alliance did indeed have an "excessive reliance on the United States" in terms of force planning in the past. As European member states and Canada continue to increase their defense spending, the military responsibilities within the alliance may be re-adjusted and redistributed in the future.