Large-scale exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance nuclear forces ‘Steadfast Noon’ (Steadfast Noon) with the participation of two thousand troops from 13 NATO countries will start on Monday, 14 October, in the north of Europe, the press service of the military-political bloc reported.
According to NATO’s statement, the exercise ‘Fortitude Noon’ is a planned exercise, they have been preparing for it for more than a year. Real munitions will not be used during the manoeuvres.
The exercise, led by Belgium and the Netherlands, will last two weeks and cover eight military bases, it will involve 2,000 military and 60 aircraft from 13 countries – bombers and fighters capable of carrying nuclear weapons, escort, refuelling, reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft.
NATO noted that the alliance is constantly taking steps ‘to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the nuclear deterrent force.’ In particular, in 2024, the new fighters of the Netherlands F35A were recognised as fit for use in nuclear deterrence missions.
Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the re-conservation of facilities, technical re-equipment and modernisation of production lines had made it possible to increase the production of three-tonne FAB-3000 high-explosive aerial bombs.
