By Kontur | 2025-10-10

Every October, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stages a rehearsal for a scenario no one ever wants to see play out: the use of nuclear weapons in Europe.

The exercise, known as Steadfast Noon, unfolds largely out of public view, over the skies and coastlines of Western Europe. It doesn't draw a lot of headlines, and NATO officials are quick to note that no live nuclear weapons are ever involved.

But the drill is anything but routine theater. For the Alliance, it is a way of proving that its nuclear deterrent is real, credible and exists to preserve peace.

Active participants

This annual exercise pulls together roughly 60 aircraft and more than 2,000 personnel from 13 NATO countries. For nearly two weeks, fighter jets, long-range bombers, refueling tankers and reconnaissance planes fly missions across Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the North Sea.

The 2024 drill marked a milestone for the Dutch: the first time their F-35A fighters trained in a nuclear role, a signal that the Alliance is bringing its most advanced technology into one of its most serious missions.

For Washington, the point of Steadfast Noon needs little unpacking. The US nuclear umbrella has anchored NATO for decades, and the exercise is a proof that American forces remain stitched into Europe's defenses, not hovering at the margins.

"One of the biggest myths that we face is that there is a 'big red button,' the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe's Chief of Nuclear Operations Colonel Daniel Bunch said last year. "That makes for good Hollywood stories, but that is certainly not the case."

Deeper purpose

The deeper purpose of the exercise lies in prevention. Nuclear deterrence has never rested solely on the existence of weapons, but on the credibility of being able to use them if needed.

Regular training ensures that NATO can respond quickly and coherently in a crisis, leaving little room for miscalculation by those who might test the Alliance's resolve. In that sense, Steadfast Noon is aimed less at preparing for war than at reducing the chance it will happen.

The drill also takes on added significance in the current security climate.

Since invading Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly leaned on nuclear threats in its rhetoric and has stationed nuclear weapons in Belarus, steps that heighten concern across the transatlantic community.

NATO's answer is steady: Steadfast Noon is a long-planned defensive exercise, intended to preserve stability and demonstrate continuity.

"Nuclear deterrence is the cornerstone of Allied security," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an October 2024 press release. "Steadfast Noon is an important test of the Alliance's nuclear deterrent and sends a clear message to any adversary that NATO will protect and defend all Allies."