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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will begin its annual nuclear exercise, Steadfast Noon, on Monday, alliance chief Mark Rutte announced on Friday, as tensions with Russia have escalated following a series of airspace incursions by Moscow.
In a video statement, Rutte emphasised that the two-week drill is a routine exercise and not a direct response to Russia’s recent actions.
“We need to do this because it helps us to make sure that our nuclear deterrent remains as credible, and as safe, and as secure, and as effective as possible,” he said. “It also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all allies against all threats.”
The exercise, which does not involve live nuclear weapons, will feature around 70 aircraft and 2,000 personnel from 13 NATO member states.
Operations will be conducted from airbases in the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, and Denmark, primarily over the North Sea.
The drill comes amid growing concern over mysterious drone sightings that have disrupted airports and appeared near military sites across several NATO countries, including Denmark.
“Drones are not a new threat to us. Drones are something we understand,” said US Colonel Daniel Bunch, chief of NATO’s nuclear operations.
“The more frequent incursions are obviously something we’re keeping an eye on.”
Steadfast Noon is the latest in a series of NATO exercises as the Kremlin has intensified its nuclear rhetoric since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Jim Stokes, NATO’s director of nuclear policy, noted that allies “haven’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture” but stressed that the alliance continues to monitor Russian rhetoric and the deployment of dual-capable missiles in Ukraine.
