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NATO countries begin two-week nuclear exercises
NATO begins tactical nuclear weapons exercises in Europe, "Steadfast Noon." They last 2 weeks and do not use any ammunition. Read more in the RBC article.
On October 14, NATO begins Exercise Steadfast Noon, a mission to practice the delivery and use of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Europe. This time led by Belgium and the Netherlands (two of the five countries that have deployed U.S. nuclear bombs to U.S. bases), the exercise will last two weeks and involve eight military bases, 2,000 troops, and 60 aircraft from 13 countries. Join the nation as nuclear-capable bombers and fighters, escorts, refueling aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, and electronic warfare aircraft. No real ordnance is used in the training.
According to the Associated Press, NATO plans to conduct most of its exercises in the North Sea, 900 kilometers from Russia. The flights are mainly carried out over Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and Denmark. Moscow has been warned about such an operation, the agency reports, citing NATO officials.
Steadfast Noon is held every year at the same time. The alliance stresses that it is a planned event and part of NATO’s nuclear deterrent, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called “the cornerstone of the organization’s security.” “Steadfast Noon is the most important test of the Alliance’s nuclear deterrent, sending a clear signal to all adversaries that NATO will defend and protect all Allies,” he said. In announcing the exercise, the alliance also recalled the declaration of NATO’s Washington Summit in July 2024, which states that the primary purpose of NATO’s nuclear capabilities is “to maintain peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression” and that “as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance organization.”
Steadfast Noon is part of NATO’s nuclear sharing concept. This means that in the event of a conflict, coalition aircraft, supported by coalition conventional forces and certified as dual-capable, would carry nuclear weapons. NATO stresses that nuclear missions can only be carried out with the approval and authorization of the Nuclear Programme Group (NSG), which includes all allies except France (which has chosen not to participate in the group). These are the words of the US President and the British Prime Minister. In other words, in the event of a nuclear war, the nuclear powers can decide whether to use nuclear weapons and implement them with the participation of their allies.
The nuclear sharing mechanism has been in place since 1954. As part of this, the United States deployed nuclear weapons in Europe at the end of the Cold War, and the arsenal began to shrink. While there were more than 7,000 operational nuclear warheads in the region (peak) in 1971, there were only 480 left in 2000. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, there are about 100 B61 nuclear bombs deployed in Europe. This is the only non-strategic weapon in the US arsenal. The bases are located among six air bases in five countries with which the US has relevant bilateral agreements (on the number of bombs and aircraft, the bulletin says). • Turkey, Incirlik Air Base - 20-30 bombs, unnamed US aircraft. Unlike other countries, Turkey does not allow the US to permanently keep the relevant aircraft on its territory. This means that in the event of a conflict, a US aircraft would fly to the Air Force base to pick up the weapons, or the weapons would be flown from the air base to the delivery vehicle.
In addition, RAF Lakenheath in England has been undergoing renovations over the past two years to once again accommodate US attacks, analysts say.
Six more countries (Hungary, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic and two unnamed countries) participate in NATO's SNOWCAT (Support for Nuclear Operations through Conventional Air Tactics) programme, which aims to provide assistance using the military infrastructure of non-nuclear countries to support a nuclear mission.