According to Secretary General Mark Rutte, NATO will start its annual nuclear exercise on Monday. The two-week ‘Steadfast Noon’ exercise will involve 60 aircraft from 13 countries, including F-35A fighter jets and B-52 bombers.
The geographical focus is therefore on Great Britain, the North Sea, Belgium and the Netherlands. “In an uncertain world, it is crucial that we test and strengthen our defenses so that our adversaries know that NATO is ready and able to respond to any threat,” said former Dutch Prime Minister Rutte.
NATO does not provide information about the exercise scenario or details. According to military experts, the exercises, which take place regularly in October, practice how to safely transport U.S. nuclear weapons from underground warehouses to the aircraft and mount them under fighter jets.
NATO has access to American nuclear weapons
However, the practice flights then take place without the bombs. NATO emphasizes that “Steadfast Noon” is not a response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
NATO’s so-called ‘nuclear sharing’ stipulates that in the event of an emergency, American nuclear weapons stationed in Europe will also be dropped from the aircraft of partner states and then, for example, enemy forces will be neutralized. According to unconfirmed official information, American nuclear weapons are stored in northern Italy, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Source: Krone
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