Pentagon Shift Raises Questions About America’s NATO Strategy

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB): U.S. to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a crisis, including strategic bombers, fighters, warships, and mid-air refueling aircraft. According to Spiegel, an envoy of War Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed senior officials from member states on the plan at NATO headquarters in Brussels last week.

Under the new plan, the U.S. will provide only half of its previous number of strategic bombers.

At the same time, the number of U.S. fighters is expected to fall by a third.

The U.S. Navy will also make fewer destroyers available to NATO, and the U.S. no longer intends to provide any submarines to the alliance.

Under the changes, Europe would be forced to provide its own reconnaissance drones, while U.S. plans to significantly scale back the provision of armed models.

President Trump has slammed European allies for not spending enough on their militaries and pledged to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. His ambition to take control of Greenland, a Danish overseas territory, further inflamed transatlantic tensions.

Trump also fiercely criticized European allies for lack of support in reopening Strait of Hormuz amid the war on Iran, saying he was considering withdrawing from the NATO alliance and questioning whether Washington was bound to honor its mutual defense pact.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s the latest defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

Trump might not have a good way out of the Iran war. Polls show Americans have grown weary of Iran war, especially since gasoline prices jumped 50%. May 2026 Fox News poll.

Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war. As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk’s Starlink network began to make visible gains in war against Iran, senior SpaceX officials reached a conclusion: Pentagon should be paying more for access to their satellite Wi-Fi network.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Former Army combat engineer (sapper) turned gun influencer was arrested for distributing videos that provided step-by-step instructions on making explosives.

DEFENSE POLITICS

How healthy is Trump? President’s fitness back under spotlight. Trump, who turns 80 on June 14 is oldest person ever inaugurated yet remains extremely active and energetic. Meanwhile, Biden was semi-comatose his entire term.

After fuel prices increased significantly due to war in Iran, lawmakers are grappling with its effects on aviation fuel ahead of approval for fiscal year 2027’s National Defense Authorization Act request.

U.S. military lacks an ethics doctrine. Combat effectiveness suffers.

IRAN WAR

Iran remains in peace talks despite first U.S. counterstrikes since ceasefire. Tehran condemns “definitive violation” but announces no specific reprisals as negotiations near decisive stage.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said U.S. military bases in Middle East will no longer be safe after the war, declaring victory and new regional order even as talks to end conflict continued.

President Trump’s demand that more Muslim-majority countries join Abraham Accords and recognize Israel as part of efforts to end Iran war is being met by officials in such countries with laughter, dismissal and silence.

Israel’s military is moving further into Lebanon, in what could signal an expanded presence in south of the country as part of war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

CHINA THREAT

China weaving web of ties to finally make it a diplomatic superpower.

RUSSIA THREAT/UKRAINE WAR

Nearly half million Russians killed in Ukraine war, UK spy chief says. Adding that Russian forces are “going backwards on the battlefield” for first time since late 2022.

Russia tells Marco Rubio U.S. citizens should leave Kyiv ahead of ‘systematic’ strikes on Ukrainian capital.

Russia ramps up threats against Ukraine. What does that say about the war?

NORTH KOREA THREAT

North Korea fired several projectiles, including at least one short-range ballistic missile, toward waters off the country’s west coast.

SPACE THREATS

Space Force awarded massive $2.29 billion contract to SpaceX for “backbone” of its new Space Data Network, a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that will provide connectivity for entire joint force.

NASA’s desperate rescue plan to save unique gamma-ray burst detecting satellite. Like the plot from Hollywood movie, NASA has given a specialist aerospace company just nine months to build and launch a satellite to rescue its Swift Observatory before it crashes back to Earth.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

World Health Organization (WHO) warns that Ebola outbreak spreading faster in Democratic Republic of Congo than health workers can contain it. Neighboring Uganda is also at especially high risk.

Australia is beginning long-delayed life-extension program for six diesel-electric Collins-class submarines, an effort flagged as a high-risk affair.

India has completed final developmental trials of a new compact precision guided missile that can be launched from drones to engage both ground and aerial targets.

US MILITARY

AI, autonomous weapons, and the Pentagon’s $55 billion bet on future war. DAWG is Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (tasked with rapidly developing, testing, and fielding large numbers of un-crewed systems and drones) is going from the $225 million (in FY 2026) to $55 billion for FY 2027. At same time, it’s integrating AI-driven targeting with those autonomous munitions at pace DOD directive 3000.09 was not designed to contemplate.

Triton Systems displayed fan-powered wing system it says can carry a trooper with full kit up to 200 miles for special operations and other missions.

Green Berets tested glider drones for supply drops during a massive special operations exercise. Special operations units might rely on uncrewed glider drones to get resupplied in near future.

Check out mechanical rig to see and shoot around corners. Want to look over and around walls to find enemy and take a shot if needed? ‘CornerShot’ provides a way.

When battlefield medical care becomes overwhelmed during heavy combat, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking to robot medics tending to casualties.

With flurry of new research projects, Pentagon exploring multiple ways of improving medical care for wounded military dogs.

END of PDB

FOR MORE DETAILED, UNCENSORED, INTELLIGENCE, AND ANALYSIS FROM PAUL CRESPO, SUBSCRIBE TO HIS SUBSTACK.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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