US Cancels NATO Event

NATO allies are taking on a larger share of North Atlantic security as European and Canadian forces conduct a major anti-submarine warfare exercise near Iceland without U.S. ships or aircraft participating in the maritime operation.

The development marks a notable change from previous exercises and comes as NATO members dramatically increase defense spending and assume greater responsibility for protecting strategically important territory.

According to Politico, German reconnaissance aircraft, Canadian warships and Belgian fighter jets participated in the Northern Viking maritime operation under French command.

Their mission included practicing how to locate Russian submarines and defend one of the world’s most strategically important maritime regions.

U.S. Forces Absent From Major NATO Exercise

The lack of American ships and aircraft is particularly noteworthy when compared with the previous exercise.

Two years ago, two U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships carrying Marines and aircraft participated in the operation, according to Politico.

This time, Canadian and European forces are playing the larger operational role.

The change comes as the United States has urged NATO allies to spend more on their militaries and shoulder a greater portion of the responsibility for defending Europe and the North Atlantic.

Why the GIUK Gap Matters to U.S. Security

Much of the exercise centers on the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap, better known as the GIUK Gap.

This strategic stretch of the North Atlantic has been closely watched by military planners since the Cold War.

Russian submarines operating from bases around the Kola Peninsula can pass through the region as they attempt to reach the wider Atlantic.

A senior NATO official told Politico that the area effectively serves as a dividing line between Russia and NATO.

If Russian submarines successfully pass through the gap, they gain much greater freedom to operate throughout the Atlantic.

That could potentially threaten military operations, shipping routes and the sea lanes connecting North America with Europe.

For that reason, anti-submarine warfare remains an important part of NATO’s defense strategy.

NATO Members Are Spending More on Defense

The exercises come amid a major transformation in NATO military spending.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for America’s allies to contribute more toward their own defense, arguing that the United States has carried too much of NATO’s military burden.

NATO countries have since agreed to significantly increase their defense investments.

At the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, alliance members committed to investing 5% of their gross domestic product annually in defense and security-related priorities by 2035.

At least 3.5% is designated for core military requirements, while as much as another 1.5% can go toward areas such as critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, military resilience and the defense industrial base.

The commitment represents a major increase from NATO’s previous 2% defense-spending benchmark.

Europe and Canada Increase Military Spending

The spending increases are already becoming visible.

NATO reported that European allies and Canada increased core defense expenditures by nearly 20% in real terms during 2025 compared with the previous year.

The alliance has described increased spending as part of an effort to create fairer burden-sharing among its members.

That money is intended to translate into additional weapons, military equipment, infrastructure, personnel and other capabilities required to defend NATO territory.

The exercise around Iceland provides a real-world example of what greater burden-sharing could look like.

Rather than relying as heavily on American naval and air power, European countries and Canada are demonstrating their ability to conduct important military operations in the North Atlantic.

America’s Military Faces Global Demands

The United States also faces military commitments far beyond Europe.

American naval forces must maintain a presence across multiple regions while responding to security challenges around the world.

Greater European military capabilities could therefore give Washington more flexibility in deciding where American ships, aircraft and personnel are deployed.

That does not mean the United States is leaving NATO.

American forces continue to participate in NATO operations and exercises, while the United States remains a central part of the alliance’s collective defense structure.

Instead, the emerging question is how much responsibility European NATO members and Canada can assume as their military budgets and capabilities grow.

NATO Strengthens Defenses Against Russia

NATO has also been strengthening its broader military posture.

The alliance has expanded regional defense planning, reinforced its eastern flank and increased efforts to protect critical infrastructure, including undersea cables and other systems essential to communications and commerce.

Military readiness has taken on greater importance as NATO continues to view Russia as a major security challenge.

Submarines are an especially important part of that equation because they can operate largely unseen beneath the ocean while carrying weapons and gathering intelligence.

Tracking those vessels before they reach the open Atlantic is therefore a significant strategic priority.

Could Europe Carry More of NATO’s Defense Burden?

The Iceland exercises highlight a larger question surrounding the future of the transatlantic alliance.

For decades, American military power has formed the backbone of NATO.

But European countries and Canada are now spending considerably more on defense and facing pressure to convert that money into meaningful military capabilities.

If they succeed, the United States could have greater freedom to concentrate military resources elsewhere while maintaining a strong NATO presence in Europe and the North Atlantic.

The latest exercises suggest that process is already underway.

European and Canadian forces are being asked to do more, spend more and assume greater responsibility for defending their region.

For Americans concerned about national security and the cost of overseas military commitments, whether NATO allies can successfully shoulder more of that burden will remain an important issue to watch.