NATO will begin its annual nuclear deterrence exercise Steadfast Noon on 13 October, bringing together aircraft, personnel and support units from across the Alliance in what it describes as a vital test of its nuclear readiness and deterrence posture, according to the organisation.
The exercise, which has been planned for over a year, will involve around 2,000 personnel and aircraft from thirteen Allied nations.
It will be hosted primarily in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and over the North Sea, far from Russian or Ukrainian territory. Participating aircraft include bomber and fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, alongside escort, refuelling and electronic warfare platforms. NATO stressed that no live nuclear weapons will be used at any point.
During a visit to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte underscored the importance of the exercise, saying it was essential to ensure the Alliance’s nuclear forces remain “credible, safe, secure and effective.” He added that the drills “send a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all Allies against all threats.”
Rutte highlighted that Steadfast Noon forms part of NATO’s broader approach to deterrence at a time of heightened global tension, describing nuclear deterrence as “the cornerstone of Allied security.”
The exercise is expected to feature F-35A Lightning IIs, among other aircraft, with Volkel serving as a key base for participating units.
According to NATO, the purpose of Steadfast Noon is to maintain the credibility and operational effectiveness of the Alliance’s nuclear deterrent, while ensuring that the forces involved can operate safely and in full coordination. It is one of NATO’s most significant recurring exercises and a central component of its strategic deterrence posture.
Good, more noisy Yanks wizzing around at all hours.
“Move to the country” they said,
“Enjoy the peace and quiet”
“Breath all that lovely fresh air”
And what do we get ? Bloody Maverick and Goose going Balistic all day and night.
I’m going to complain.
ok karen.
I’d love to live near a jet base, all I get is Chinooks going WOKKA WOKKA while searching hopelessly for the farmer’s field they were told to land in.
You can hear and identify them long before they come into sight.
Daniele, as you live closer to Odiham than me I presume you get them more?
Ha, Chinooks are pretty noisy that’s true, you can hear them way off but you also feel them too !
I’m in Plane spotters Heaven, we get all the American stuff and pretty much all the British too.
I’m probably the Polar opposite of a “NIMBY Karen”. Love it.
Often mate. Especially Thursday nights.
Apart from that, we’re not in the best place are we.
That’s why I used to get down to Stonehenge and Boscombe but even that’s gone quiet to what it was.
I too would like to be somewhere with a bit more activity.
We get them a lot at hockey down near Godalming, and the occasional one over Guildford. I’d love to have fast jets, you hear and see them a lot on holiday in Greece etc but never in the south of England.
We are slightly spoiled by being right next to Portsmouth, which also brings occasional Merlins along the south coast, and this weekend I’ll be near Oxford and right under the BZ landing circuit, which is always impressive.
Do you live anywhere near Thorney Island? Any heli activity into there?
No, I live up towards London from you. I sail in Chichester harbour lots, which is amazing because it’s where to Goodwood spitfires go to practice their aerobatics.
My brother takes great pride in spotting the MAN trucks on Thorney Island, he’s a lot more or-Batty than I am.
There’s lots of fast jet activity daily in North Norfolk. They fly out to the tankers on station over the North Sea via here and always pause overhead for aerial combat practise when travelling both ways. We have Lots of F15 and F-35A, some Tiffies, and more recently we have been having more A400 low level with the occasional C17 low level. One A400 recently flew directly overhead at about 250-300ft Occasionally we get Apache’s from Wattisham going to Holbeach and other training areas, and C-130’s and V22’s From Mildenhall overhead, while the occasional Wokka flies around which you can hear for miles as has been said.
Living here is amazing if you like military aircraft.
I’m pretty good at IDing military kit, especially aircraft, visually.
A Chinook, that sound. So distinctive.
Almost every day in the Summer we get one or two Spitfires doing ‘experience’ trips, out of Biggin Hil or Heacorn. Very distinctive engine sound, of course, from their Merlins. One of them sports ‘invation stripes’. Sometimes the two of them will ‘dogfight’ in the skies north of Eastbourne.
Very expensive, of course. £3,250 will get you 30 minutes (but just 20 minutes airborne) or you can pay £5,750 for 55 minutes over the White Cliffs. Nice…
Have you indulged, Grab?
Crab!
‘Indulged’…? Wash your mouth out! Not on my pension. But I remembered an eight-hour jolly I once had, in a Nimrod out of Gibraltar. Now THAT was an eye-opener. The pre-op briefing was really interesting; they were looking for an RN sub out in the Atlantic. Of the three ‘supernumery crew’ only I was allowed to stay for the briefing because of my clearance.
P.S. They found the sub, of course, which then surfaced for a chat. My first view of a sub in its’ natural environment.
Lol. Apologies.
I went to Gib in….about 1984. I recall seeing several on the flight line.
The harbour had several Leanders.
I was 12 at the time. Boy, what armed forces we had then.
They used to exercise out of Gib during the summer on a 24 hour surveilance task. So as one took off, another landed. Before takeoff, they had to sit on the end of the runway for about 20-30 minutes, to align their INS with a fixed spot on the earth’s surface – in this case, the end of the runway – running their engines up and down. Not good at 2am when our married quarter was 200 yards away!
Move house next to an air base then, maybe you can protect the back fence as they need help doing this
Not my decision I’m afraid!
Do be bloody stupid! It’s all happening to protect us from Russia. So if you are going to complain do it to putin piss face.
Larf !
I see you don’t do Sarcasm either, 🤦 It’s OK, you’re not alone.
“Piss face” that’s a new one 😁😁😁
By going ballistic do simply mean jumping?
You’re lucky. All I get is 747s roaring overhead all day
I have those too, I’m under the Heathrow-Central Europe flightpath (to the point where in summer the shadow of the jets falls on my garden).
Also the Biggin Hill – Ascot helicopter route, which is also annoying in summer.
Most of our traffic is Farnborough bound, plenty of airliners higher up.
Non military Helicopters are common too, I wasn’t aware of a Biggin Ascot heli route so maybe it is that.
Yup, the Farnborough takeoff path goes slightly North of Guildford. It’s always funny doing stuff with cadets because whenever they hear engine noise we all crane our necks to work out where it’s coming from. The Ascot thing isn’t official I think, they just all seem to pass within earshot of my house for that week in summer.
Ahh ok. Ha, I looked it up thinking it a thing.
Went to Silverstone once and I’ve never seen so many helicopters incoming dropping off.
I wonder will the UK have to sign a new treaty with the USA to cover B61 employment or is this covered in existing treaties.
I don’t think the UK will get It’s F35A’s anytime soon so plenty of time to sort the paperwork if needed.
My personal opinion is this F35A purchase makes a lot of sense due to the Stealth (which was not really an option back in the day) and the fact It focuses minds on knowing we have this second capability.
I would like to think that Tempest will be N capable too. Long range 5.5 or 6th gen tech and Stealth makes for quite the capability.
We’re getting 12 aircraft, it’s not a capability, their only wartime role will be nuclear dropping and then what are we training pilots with.
So we ARE getting a Nuclear bomb dropping capability then.
Deary me Hugo, make your mind up. 🤦
Is it worth the screwing over our F35B fleet to get some dumb drop nuclear bombs?
Different question to your last comment but actually I agree. Then again, successive Governments have “Screwed” virtualy every capability for decades. Do you Lobby them ?
If we are using these to drop nuclear bombs then pilot training won’t be an issue anymore.
Yea, pretty much going forward, stealth (L/O) is going to be the go-to for F/A aircraft. My guess is that even Africa, etc will begin to get IADS systems that can knock down non-L/O aircraft and F-35, etc will be needed even more.
By the time the RAF gets its 12 F-35A, JSM & AARGM-ER will have been integrated by others onto the F-35A. A small UK buy of JSM & AARGM-ER would give more capability/flexibility to the small RAF F-35A fleet.
It’s 12 aircraft, they won’t be doing any combat or frontlines roles
Keep half back for the nuclear role, but that leaves the other half to clear a path with AARGM-ER & JSM.
So what 3 aircraft each? F35 is barley meeting 50 percent availability so not sure that idea works.
Yes, but they are part of the European F-35 pool. Our contribution amongst all the others.
As a tier one we should have gone down the Israeli route and fitted our own stuff. But hey.
If talking N Weapons, we don’t have any.
Ok…I couldn’t reply on the other thread.
But, as a confirmed southern softy, I’d never heard of a Carolina Reaper.
But….there are plenty of hospitalised victims including one idiot filmed eating 25 of them!
Impressive work, your car door handle sabotage.
You should lead the UKDJ SOE section.
Morning DM, after yesterdays chat, I decided that you are right, so I have now become serious, any further sillyness has ceased, I will from now on, be “Stuffy” like everyone else.
No. I’m not right at all mate.
Carry on!
But, I want to fit in !
I want to be Grumpy and Opinionated and controversial, I want to be taken seriously by the whole world.
(It’s OK, I’m kidding, normal service will resume shortly)
BTW, “Carolina Reaper” heads the official Scoville scale table with a nominal Heat rated at @ 2,000,000 units. The Jalapeno is @ 5000 units.
It’s like comparing the Tsar Bomba with a Firework, It’s Insanely hot. I grow them some years.
Good. You’re a fixture here now mate, we can’t all be pessimistic cynics like me.
I did my “research” on the Scoville scale and a whole new world has opened, and closed for me in an instant!
Sounds horrendous!
Seriously, some people’s “heat receptors” or whatever is in their mouth ( Jonathan is the man here ) must be set differently.
I can only contribute one story to this.
I’m an artist, in my spare time when not on the day job, and some of my paintings were hung once in a local Curry House. Having befriended the owner, and having eaten at a discount regularly there, we heard plenty of stories.
One involved a French businessman, who would arrive at the restaurant every Friday. He’d always demand the Phal, which isn’t on the menu and only available on special request! 😵💫 Kadg, the owner, and staff would try to convince him it was too much.
No no, he insisted.
Every week they would load up the heat and Kadg always recalls him saying
“Come on man….stop giving me these Korma’s!”
They could not “defeat” him, and gave the last meal for free.
Maybe you were this man!
Ha, I like stories like that, I’m not him but have been in that same situation asking for their hottest. Trouble is, it’s only ever going to be as hot as the particular type of Chilli Powder they use. A Tablespoon of Cashmir is not even comparible with a single small Reaper.
Stick a fresh sliced reaper on your tongue and the first sensation is Fruit, followed by Death. No seriously, It’s a pain like no other, you feel like your whole body wants to turn inside out and sit under a waterfall and It lasts for quite some time. I’m nowhere near able to actually eat a whole one fresh, It’s a staggering thing seing those Chilli eating Comps.
Not nukes. Fitting our own shit.
Once upon a time … there was the Blue Steel nuclear missile on Vulcan launched at mach 3 with 300km range, with yield of +1 megaton
too bad UK is not adapting all this knowledge to today with smaller warhead and fighter sized missile with longer range, which is way better than dropping a gravity bomb over Moscow as well as having to ask the US for permission.
seriously how many F35 make it that far over Russian territory? because “stealth” is optimised for front RCS not to mention big IR tail signature with that fat engine.
Isn’t the idea behind nuclear deterrance that it must be 100% reliable and credible?
my 2 cents
Moscow gets hit with trident (strategic nuclear weapons).
The battlefields around eastern Poland and Kaliningrad get the tactical stuff. They are also used defensively to keep your ground units from being overrun in an over-match situation.
might be the only practical way of keeping the Baltics from getting overrun.
I suggest Brimstone, lots of Brimstone.
And maybe Spear when it comes along, because you can fit 18 or something on a Typhoon.
it is not the 60s anymore. tactical nukes have been retired from service for Nato use. currently the only available bomb for the nuclear sharing agreement is a B61 Mod 12 which has a 50 kiloton yield, hardly a tactical use weapon when you conisder that Little Boy bomb was just 15 kilotons in comparison
I would suggest you try seeing the bigger picture though.
There are good reasons F35 Is being bought by so many Countries not least of those Is It’s Stealth capabilities.
Israel Is a good example.
Dropping Dumb N’s was deemed to be obsolete back in the 60’s by the UK’s MOD. F35 gives that capability back regardless of any target, this will make any aggresser think hard before making a move. It’s the whole ethos of M.A.D.