Pentagon launches review of US forces and bases in Europe

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces and bases in Europe during a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera, CBS News and AP reporting carried by Military.com.

Hegseth said the review would examine US force posture and basing in Europe and would include consultations with US European Command, Congress and allies. Al Jazeera reported that Congress has legislated a minimum number of US forces in Europe, making the review a military and political process rather than a simple Pentagon staffing decision.

The review was framed as part of a shift toward what Hegseth called “NATO 3.0.” CBS News reported that the phrase refers to an initiative introduced by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, built around the idea that European countries should take primary responsibility for the continent’s conventional defense.

Hegseth told NATO counterparts that the review would test whether the alliance was moving “fast and irreversibly” toward Europe leading its own defense, according to Military.com and Al Jazeera. The Washington Examiner excerpt said the Pentagon has indicated it intends to reduce US forces in Europe, including fighter jets, strategic bombers, submarines and other assets, while expecting European countries to fill the gaps.

The announcement came with sharp criticism of allies. CBS News reported that Hegseth accused some NATO members of “shameful” inaction during the Iran war, saying they denied predictable access, basing and overflight for US aircraft or ships. Military.com reported similar remarks, with Hegseth saying allies put US service members at risk by denying access that he said should not have been in question.

The force-posture review could affect more than troop numbers. Bases, overflight rights, naval access, aircraft availability, logistics routes and pre-positioned equipment all shape how quickly the US and NATO can respond to a crisis. A reduction or redistribution of US assets would change what European governments need to fund, staff and sustain themselves.

Al Jazeera reported that Hegseth also threatened to withhold some US dues to NATO if “free riding” allies did not meet defense spending commitments. That turns the review into part of a wider burden-sharing fight, where spending targets, basing access and deterrence posture are being linked in one negotiation.

The timing adds pressure ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara next month, which CBS News said President Trump is expected to attend. European allies and Canada are already trying to work out how to fill gaps after the US told allies it would no longer supply certain warships and aircraft if one came under attack, Al Jazeera reported.

What remains uncertain is whether the review will produce actual force reductions, which countries would be most affected, and how Russia would read any shift in US posture. The sources verify the review, its six-month timeframe and its political framing, but not the final deployment outcome.

The larger implication is that US deterrence in Europe is being moved from assumption to review. NATO’s military architecture depends on bases, access, air and naval capacity, and shared planning; changing those pieces would reshape both Europe’s defense burden and the signal sent to Moscow.