Since the inauguration of Donald Trumpit’s an old refrain that comes back insistently: the United States could leave NATO. On Fox News, Tuesday March 31, it was Marco Rubio who questioned the future of the Atlantic Alliance, after being questioned about the use of military bases in Europe. In the background, a frustrating subject: since the start of the war in Iran, Spain and Italy have refused to allow their air bases to be used for operations directly involving Israeli or American planes engaged in the conflict.
These tensions highlight an often overlooked reality: the American military presence in Europe is based on a dense network of bases, most of which are located in NATO member countries. This anchorage dates back to post-World War II, when Washington decided to maintain forces on the continent to prevent any new major conflict, guarantee the security of its allies and contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Even today, these installations fulfill essential missions: deterrence, rapid reaction and support for allies, with the capacity to intervene immediately in the event of an attack against a member of the Alliance.
According to Congressional data, in 2024 the United States had approximately 67,000 military personnel on active duty distributed among the 30 European member countries of NATO, or nearly 40% of American personnel deployed abroad. Each establishment responds to a precise strategic logic: access to the Mediterranean, projection towards the Middle East, direct link with the United States or even strengthening of the eastern flank of the Alliance. In this context, the Tangwall Campagin has identified the five most important bases in Europe.
5. The Rota naval base (Spain)
A true gateway to the Mediterranean for the US Navy, Naval Station Rota also plays a key role in operations in Africa. Located in the province of Cádiz, it is the largest American military community in Spain, hosting personnel from the US Navy and Marine Corps, as well as smaller detachments from the US Army and US Air Force. In total, around 3,500 American soldiers are stationed there on a 2,470 hectare site.
In England: maintaining combat-ready forces
Its mission is multiple: logistical support, security, resupply and support for naval operations. The base has three operational docks capable of accommodating American and NATO ships, as well as a 271-hectare airfield used by the American air force. It is also home to major fuel and weapons storage infrastructures, among the largest in Europe. In 2021, it distinguished itself by temporarily welcoming thousands of Afghan refugees evacuated during the Kabul airlift, confirming its role as a strategic logistics platform.
4. RAF Lakenheath (UK)
Located in the east of England, RAF Lakenheath today constitutes the main American fighter base in Europe. It hosts the 48th Fighter Wing, with around 7,000 soldiers, British and American civilians, plus nearly 11,000 members of their families. A true spearhead of American air power on the continent, the base has several squadrons equipped with the latest generation F-15 Strike Eagle and F-35A.
Its mission is clear: maintain combat-ready forces to support NATO operations, but also those of American commands in Europe and Africa. Inherited from the Second World War, where it initially served as a decoy airfield, in 1948 it became a pillar of the US Air Force system. Recently modernized to accommodate the F-35, it embodies the technological rise of American forces in Europe.
3. Naples Naval Base (Italy)
Located in the south of Italy, Naval Support Activity Naples occupies a central place in the American naval system. It notably hosts the command of the Sixth Fleet as well as that of American naval forces in Europe and Africa. Thanks to its strategic position in the heart of the Mediterranean, it allows rapid projection of forces towards Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Both a logistics base and a command center, it plays a determining role in the coordination of NATO operations.
Since its creation in the early 1950s, in the context of the Cold War, it has established itself as an essential pivot of American naval operations. With around 8,500 civilian and military personnel, it remains today an essential hub in the management of international crises, particularly in the south of the Alliance.
2. Lucius D. Clay Kaserne (Germany)
Located near Frankfurt, approximately 200 kilometers from Strasbourg, Lucius D. Clay Kaserne has established itself as one of the main command centers of the American army in Europe. Inherited from Allied occupation after 1945, the former air base gradually evolved into the headquarters of American ground forces in Europe and Africa.
35,000 Americans in Ramstein
Today, it plays a key role in strategic planning, intelligence and coordination of operations with NATO allies. In a context of increased tensions in Eastern Europe since 2014, then after 2022, Wiesbaden has established itself as a central hub for logistical support and supervision of operations towards the eastern flank. More discreet than the large air bases, it remains no less essential, with more than 8,000 personal. In March 2025, the New York Times also revealed its role in planning sensitive operations linked to the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting its growing strategic importance.
1. Ramstein (Germany)
The true heart of the American military system in Europe, Ramstein Air Base is often nicknamed “Little America”. The largest American base on the continent, it hosts several thousand soldiers and civilians (35,000 including families), as well as key units such as the headquarters of the American Air Forces in Europe (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and the 86th Airlift Wing, specialized in strategic transport. Its mission is central: to ensure the transit of troops, equipment and supplies between the United States and theaters of operations, while coordinating NATO air operations.
Equipped with major logistics infrastructures, it constitutes an essential hub connecting Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Built in the early 1950s, near the French border, it long housed tactical nuclear weapons and played a key role in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. More recently, it has established itself as an essential platform for military support to Ukraine.
