NATO will hold its major annual nuclear exercises next week, the alliance’s top official announced Friday, with a key part of the exercise focused on protecting weapons before they are used.
Steadfast Noon will run for about two weeks and will be led by the Netherlands, with 71 aircraft from 14 NATO countries participating.
The long-planned exercise, which begins on Monday, comes as security around military facilities in Europe has been tightened following a series of airspace violations by drones, some of which have been blamed on Russia.
“We need to do this because it helps keep our nuclear deterrent as reliable, secure, secure and effective as possible,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a video statement.
“It also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we can protect and protect all allies from any threat.”
Bombers and fighter planes capable of carrying nuclear warheads will participate, but no nuclear weapons or live ammunition will be used.
Most of the exercises will take place in the North Sea, far from Russia and Ukraine, and will also involve military bases in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands.
The United States and Britain have nuclear forces and are key to NATO’s strategic deterrence. France also has nuclear weapons, but is not part of the organization’s nuclear program group.
NATO officials did not say what scenarios would be used to test the 32-nation alliance’s nuclear readiness, but insisted it would not be targeted at any particular country or related to the current international situation.
The United States offers F-35 jets that can carry conventional and nuclear weapons, as well as refueling planes and other support aircraft. Finland and Poland are sending fighter jets.
Electronic warfare equipment and reconnaissance and intelligence systems will also be used.
Colonel Daniel Bunch, chief of NATO nuclear operations at the alliance’s military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, said the bulk of the exercise will focus on protecting nuclear weapons on the ground.
“These are highly protected assets that require maximum security and safety, so a variety of threats must be assessed and defended against,” Bunch said.
Asked if drones were of particular concern given recent incidents, particularly near military facilities in Belgium and Denmark, he said: “Drones are not a new threat to us. Drones are something we understand.”
Bunch acknowledged that “more frequent incursions are obviously something we’re looking at,” but added, “Ultimately, we’re going to stay one step ahead of our adversaries.”
The Washington Summit Declaration, agreed to by alliance leaders last year, states: “The fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear capabilities is to maintain peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.”
“As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance,” he said.
James Stokes, director of NATO’s Nuclear Policy Directorate, told reporters that despite the Kremlin’s continued and fiery rhetoric, the allies have recently seen “no change in Russia’s nuclear posture.”
He stressed that Russia was not the focus of the exercise, but said NATO continues to monitor Russia’s military activities, including the use of dual-capable missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads in Ukraine.
Additional sources of information • AP