BRUSSELS — NATO's top military officer is evaluating alternative defense plans for Europe following an announcement by the United States to reduce its commitment of aircraft and warships to the region. The U.S. informed NATO allies that it would scale down its military presence to concentrate on potential threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander, delivered remarks. Allied representatives convened on June 2-3 to assess the capability gaps resulting from the U.S. military reduction. Reports from Germany and the U.S. indicate that an aircraft carrier, its support group of warships and aircraft, and a submarine will be withdrawn from the European theater. Additionally, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets will no longer be available in Europe.

Grynkewich stated that the U.S. is still committed to providing limited but critical capabilities to the alliance. He also indicated that European allies and Canada should address current gaps by supplying manned and unmanned aircraft and naval vessels in the near term. The NATO Force Model outlines the phases over which commanders can deploy military assets from 32 member nations during the first six months of a conflict.

Grynkewich advocated for rapid acquisition and deployment of resources. "We need to focus on things that we can acquire quickly, that we can field quickly, and that we can scale rapidly and sustain over time, and that goes for long-range fires as well as drones." Grynkewich said. "Those sorts of things can help us mitigate the near-term risk should we find ourselves needing to deter and defend." He also said, "Russia is not looking for a conflict with NATO." Russia is currently engaged in a war in Ukraine and faces challenges in troop recruitment. NATO leaders agreed at the 2023 Vilnius summit that the alliance could respond to hybrid attacks. Hostile actors have conducted subthreshold attacks in Europe over the past five years, including arson, infrastructure intrusions, and airspace disruptions.

No independent assessment was available for this report.