NATO's Steadfast Noon: Defining Defense with Nuclear Deterrence Drill

NATO's Steadfast Noon nuclear deterrence exercise, set to kick off in the Netherlands next week, aims to consolidate alliance readiness. The drill, involving 71 aircraft from 14 nations, is a testament to NATO's resolve to protect and defend its members against potential threats.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte underscored the significance of Steadfast Noon in a video address from Volkel airbase, emphasizing the need for such exercises to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the alliance's nuclear deterrence capabilities.

While the exercise simulates the use of nuclear weapons, it doesn't deploy them. In light of reduced nuclear tensions since Russia's Ukraine invasion, NATO's nuclear policy head, Jim Stokes, affirmed the drill's routine nature, not directed at any specific country or linked to current events.

(With inputs from agencies.)