According to NATO, Steadfast Noon is a recurring training activity and isn’t linked to any current world events. Steadfast Noon is indeed held almost annually, but given Putin’s recently made nuclear threaths, the exercise couldn’t be more convenient at this time to ensure that NATO’s nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective. The exercise (also) fits into NATO’s new Strategic Concept, adopted by allied leaders at the Madrid Summit in June 2022. The concept states: “The fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.” It stresses that, “as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance. NATO’s goal is a safer world for all; we seek to create the security environment for a world without nuclear weapons.“
The exercise’s goal is to train regional NATO allies air- and groundcrews in using U.S. B61 tactical nuclear bombs. The exercise is centered at Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium, one of the six European airbases that store the mentioned bombs. Examples of other involved air bases are Volkel and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, Nörvenich in Germany and RAF Coningsby in the United Kingdom. Groundcrews train to handle the B61 bombs, as well as servicing other nation’s aircraft than they are used to service at their homebase. This is known as cross-servicing or X-servicing. Aircrews train their nuclear missions flying over Belgium, the North Sea and the United Kingdom. No live weapons are used for obvious reasons.
NATO refused to cancel Steadfast Noon 2022 despite threats from the Kremlin and the escalating conflict in Ukraine. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that it would send a very wrong signal if NATO suddenly cancelled a long-planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine. He also stated that the best way to avoid escalation was to show firm and predictable NATO behaviour.
