NATO will launch its annual nuclear exercise on Monday, involving 2,000 personnel, 71 aircraft, and 14 countries, but without the use of any atomic bombs, the alliance announced on Friday.
This year’s exercise aims to ensure NATO’s nuclear deterrent remains credible, safe, secure, and effective, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during a visit to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands, which was selected to host the event.
In addition to the Volkel Air Base, the two-week drill will involve military bases in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, with operations also taking place over the North Sea.
The exercise, described as routine, is not directed at any specific country and is unrelated to real-world events, Jim Stokes, NATO’s nuclear policy official, clarified.
This year’s exercise occurs amid increased incidents of Russian drones entering NATO airspace and reports of unidentified drones flying over Copenhagen last month.
“These more frequent incursions are obviously something we are monitoring closely,” said US Colonel Daniel Bunch, NATO’s head of nuclear operations.
However, he emphasised that drones are not a new threat to NATO. “Drones are something that we understand,” he remarked.
