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NATO Allies are conducting the nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon” with the participation of more than 60 aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighter jets and B-52 bombers. The two-week exercise features training flights over Western Europe.

Steadfast Noon is NATO’s annual military exercise that simulates the use of nuclear weapons, focusing on testing the alliance’s nuclear deterrence capabilities. The exercise involves fighter jets capable of carrying U.S. nuclear warheads, however, it does not involve any live weapons.

During the exercise, more than 2,000 military personnel from eight airbases and various types of aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, plan to practice deployment scenarios. They are also supported by aerial refueling aircraft, reconnaissance and electronic warfare planes, and other support groups to simulate real-world nuclear operations.

The primary goal of the exercise is to ensure the readiness and coordination of NATO’s nuclear forces in the event of a nuclear conflict. This year’s exercise involves flights mainly over host countries Belgium and the Netherlands as well as in airspaces over Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the North Sea. NATO Allies began planning for the exercise a year ago and thirteen NATO Allies are participating in the drills with their advanced aircraft.

This year’s exercise features a wide range of aircraft including, F-16 Fighting Falcon jets of the Belgian, Danish, Greece, Polish, Romanian, and Turkish air forces, German Air Force A400M, EF-2000, and Tornado aircraft, Czech Air Force JAS-39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft, Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, Italian Air Force Tornado and KC-767, the UK Royal Air Force’s Typhoon, Voyager, and F-35B Lightning aircraft, Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning, the U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber, KC-135 Stratotanker, and F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35 stealth jets, as well as NATO E-3A and NATO Multinational Tanker Unit A330 MRTT aircraft.

The exercise involves cooperation among different branches of the military and across borders, emphasizing smooth communication and operational procedures among NATO member countries.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a statement, “Nuclear deterrence is the cornerstone of Allied security,” highlighting that the exercise “Steadfast Noon is an important test of the Alliance’s nuclear deterrent and sends a clear message to any adversary that NATO will protect and defend all Allies.”

NATO’s nuclear sharing policy is a central element of the Alliance, allowing member states without nuclear weapons to participate in the planning and potential use of nuclear weapons in defense scenarios. NATO members Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, which do not possess nuclear arsenals, host U.S. nuclear bombs on their territory under this policy.

Steadfast Noon is part of NATO’s regular schedule of exercises and typically rotates among different member nations for hosting. It is a defensive exercise aimed at deterring any potential adversary from considering a nuclear strike by demonstrating NATO’s preparedness to respond.

The timing of the exercise is critical as the Allies aim to demonstrate their unity and strength, particularly when Russian  President Putin has repeatedly warned the NATO allies of potential nuclear consequences since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NATO’s assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, Angus Lapsley said that NATO allies are focused on ensuring the effectiveness of its nuclear deterrence. “We seek to deter any adversaries, and principally Russia, in several different ways, including conventional deterrence. But it’s always been underpinned by nuclear deterrence.“

According to the NATO statement, the Alliance is taking critical steps to “ensure the safety, security, effectiveness, and credibility of NATO’s nuclear deterrent“. The statement noted the latest achievement of the Dutch Air Force’s F-35A fighter jet, as it became the first Allied aircraft declared ready to perform nuclear roles.

The statement further highlighted that NATO’s Washington Summit declaration makes clear that “the fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression,” It states that “as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance.”