US Plans to Cut NATO’s Rapid Response Force

The US wants Europe to carry more of the alliance's rapid-response burden. The problem is that the missing pieces are the hardest ones to replace

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron flies above the United Kingdom, debuting a heritage paint scheme, May 7, 2026. The heritage camouflage and custom tail-flash details recreated the look of the F-111F Aardvark aircraft that flew out of RAF Lakenheath in support of Operation El Dorado Canyon in 1986. (US Air…