NATO begins manoeuvres practising defence with nuclear weapons

NATO has begun its annual manoeuvres to practise defending the alliance’s territory with nuclear weapons.

Around 2,000 military personnel will be involved in the Steadfast Noon exercise over the next two weeks, the alliance announced on Monday at the start of the manoeuvres.

Around 70 aircraft will be used in the air manoeuvres, it said, including German fighter jets capable of transporting US nuclear bombs stationed in Europe.

This year’s manoeuvres are due to take place primarily in the airspace above the North Sea. The Dutch air base in Volkel and military bases in Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Lakenheath in England and Skrydstrup in Denmark are also expected to play key roles.

NATO says the German Armed Forces are providing three Tornados equipped to drop US nuclear bombs and four Eurofighters for the exercise.

NATO emphasizes that Steadfast Noon is a routine exercise and is not a response to recent Russian airspace violations or other provocations. Nevertheless, the manoeuvre is also intended to send a clear signal to Moscow that NATO is prepared to defend itself with nuclear weapons if necessary.

The exercise is necessary to ensure that nuclear deterrence remains as credible and effective as possible, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday.

The reason why Germany, a country without its own nuclear weapons, is participating in the exercise is due to NATO’s principle of nuclear sharing.

This provides that, in an emergency, US B61 nuclear weapons stationed in Europe can also be dropped by aircraft from partner countries and then used to take out enemy forces, for example.

According to officially unconfirmed reports, US nuclear weapons are stored in northern Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany, for example.

NATO has not provided any details on the exact exercise scenario.

Military experts say the manoeuvres, which take place regularly in October, include practising how to safely transport the weapons from underground magazines to the aircraft and mount them under the fighter jets.

However, only practice bombs without real nuclear warheads are used in this and the subsequent attack exercises.

There is great anticipation as to whether there will be any incidents involving drones. Due to the sighting of unmanned aerial vehicles, alarms have been repeatedly triggered at civil and military airports in recent weeks. At times, air traffic even had to be suspended as a result.

NATO remains calm for the time being. “Drones are not a new threat to us. We are very familiar with this issue,” Daniel Bunch, chief planner responsible for nuclear operations, said before the exercise. Ultimately, NATO will always be one step ahead and able to fulfil its missions in all threat situations, he said.