NATO Launches “Steadfast Noon 25” Nuclear Deterrence Exercise Across Europe
#NATO #SteadfastNoon #f35
Allied fighter jets are back in the skies above Europe as NATO begins its annual nuclear deterrence exercise, Steadfast Noon 2025. The large-scale training, which runs from 13 to 24 October, brings together around 70 aircraft and 2,000 personnel from 14 Allied nations, testing the Alliance’s ability to conduct coordinated nuclear deterrence missions while emphasizing readiness, transparency, and safety.
The exercise features a mix of dual-capable and conventional aircraft, including the Dutch F-35 Lightning II and German Tornado, supported by surveillance, refuelling, and command-and-control aircraft. This year marks the first time the F-35 leads the nuclear strike mission under NATO’s planning structure, operating out of Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands.
Colonel Daniel Bunch, Chief of NATO Nuclear Operations at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), highlighted that Steadfast Noon is “a live-fly deterrence exercise with no nuclear weapons involved.” He stressed that it remains a routine, long-planned event not directed at any nation, yet designed to address real and emerging threats, including drone warfare and disruptive technologies. “Our mission planning incorporates these evolving challenges to ensure NATO remains fully ready and credible,” Bunch said.
He explained that the exercise tests the entire command and control chain, with weeks of preparation required to coordinate multinational strike and support packages. The mission integrates air-to-air refuelling, strike escort, and defensive cover, ensuring that allied aircraft can operate seamlessly together under complex simulated conditions.
From NATO Headquarters, Jim Stokes, Director of Nuclear Policy, emphasized that nuclear deterrence has been “a cornerstone of NATO’s collective defence since 1949.” He reiterated that Steadfast Noon demonstrates both Alliance cohesion and political oversight, as all nuclear-related decisions are made by consensus among Allies, not delegated to the military.
Stokes said, “In an uncertain world, NATO’s nuclear forces remain vital to our overall deterrence posture. Exercises like Steadfast Noon show that Allies are interoperable, credible, and ready—reassuring our populations and deterring any adversary.” He also underlined NATO’s increasing transparency, noting that member nations are “openly demonstrating how they train together to maintain peace and prevent escalation.”
The footage from the exercise shows Dutch F-35s and German Tornados taking off and landing, maintenance teams at work, and controllers coordinating the missions from busy European airbases—a vivid display of how NATO integrates technology, discipline, and diplomacy to keep its nuclear deterrent effective and safe.
00:00 DUTCH MAINTENANCE CREW PREPARING DUTCH AIR FORCE F-35 FOR TAKE-OFF
00:23 DUTCH AIR FORCE F-35 TAXIS TO RUNWAY
00:42 GERMAN MAINTENANCE CREW PREPARING GERMAN AIR FORCE TORNADO FOR TAKE-OFF
01:02 GERMAN AIR FORCE TORNADO TAXIS TO RUNWAY
01:19 GERMAN AIR FORCE TORNADO TAKING OFF
01:36 DUTCH AIR FORCE F-35 TAKING OFF
01:54 GERMAN AIR FORCE TORNADO LANDING
02:08 DUTCH AIR FORCE F-35 LANDING
02:28 DUTCH MAINTENANCE CREW MAINTAIN DUTCH AIR FORCE F-35 AFTER LANDING
02:52 DUTCH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER OBSERVING THE AIRFIELD
03:07 COLONEL DANIEL BUNCH – CHIEF OF NATO NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED POWERS EUROPE
05:03 JIM STOKES – DIRECTOR OF NUCLEAR POLICY, NATO HEADQUARTERS
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