In a confirmation made on Monday, a spokesperson for the Western defence alliance, NATO, revealed that they have commenced their annual military drills which involve nuclear weapons.
The exercise, named “Steadfast Noon”, will run until Thursday of the following week and will involve up to 60 aircraft.
Among the aircraft taking part in the drills are contemporary fighter jets, surveillance and tanker aircraft, as well as long-range B-52 bombers.
This year, the manoeuvres will mainly be conducted in the airspace over Italy, Croatia, and the Mediterranean.
A total of 13 NATO member countries, including Germany, will be participating in the drills.
Last week, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, emphasized the importance of nuclear weapons for deterrence, citing Russia’s conflict with Ukraine as a reminder.
He stated, “Although it is a routine training exercise, ‘Steadfast Noon’ will help to ensure the credibility, effectiveness, and security of nuclear deterrence.”
NATO has not disclosed any details regarding the exercise and its specific scenario.
According to military experts, the purpose of these manoeuvres is to practice the safe transportation of U.S. nuclear weapons from underground storage sites in Europe to the aircraft, and then to mount the weapons under the fighter jets.
However, the actual bombs are not used during the training flights.
Under NATO’s nuclear-sharing agreement, U.S. nuclear weapons are stationed in Europe and can be dropped from aircraft belonging to partner states in case of an emergency.
While it has not been officially confirmed, it is known that U.S. nuclear weapons are stored in northern Italy, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
dpa/NAN
