Pentagon Plans to Withdraw One-Third of NATO Fighter Jets from Europe

—The Pentagon is planning to withdraw approximately one-third of its fighter aircraft currently stationed at NATO bases in Europe, a reduction that has alarmed allied governments and defense officials. The drawdown is part of a broader US military rebalancing that also includes increased focus on the Indo-Pacific region. European NATO members, already under pressure to increase their own defense spending, view the pullback as a weakening of the alliance's deterrence posture. The move comes at a sensitive moment given ongoing security concerns stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle East instability.