The conduct of the “Steadfast Noon” exercise – with the participation of 60 aircraft from NATO countries and the implementation of nuclear exercises – was announced by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday in London, according to the dpa.

The exercise will take place mainly in the airspace of Great Britain, the North Sea, Belgium and the Netherlands, while there will also be simulation exercises with nuclear weapons.

“In an unstable world, it is important to test and strengthen our defenses so that adversaries know that NATO is ready and able to respond to any threat,” Rutte said.

NATO emphasizes, however, that the Steadfast Noon exercises “are not a reaction to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” clarifies dpa.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has not released details of the exercise.

According to military experts, the maneuvers are used to practice how US nuclear weapons can be safely transported on European soil, from underground storage to installation on fighter jets. Training flights are then carried out without bombs.

The NATO nuclear exchange agreement provides for US nuclear weapons to be stationed in Europe and launched from member states’ aircraft in emergency situations.

Although not officially confirmed, US nuclear weapons are said to be stored in northern Italy, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.