Abschreckung gegen Russland: Deutschland schickt Tornados zu Atomwaffenübung der Nato

In the coming days, several German fighter aircraft will participate in a NATO defense exercise called "Steadfast Noon," involving nuclear weapons. Three tactical fighter bombers from the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing will be relocated to Aviano Air Base in Northern Italy for the exercise. These aircraft are typically stationed at Büchel Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, where U.S. nuclear weapons are reportedly stored and could potentially be dropped by German bombers in case of a nuclear threat.

Other NATO countries with nuclear weapons storage facilities include Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. NATO has not disclosed further details about the exercise, which is said to have a comparable scope to last year's drills, involving around 2,000 military personnel and over 70 aircraft, including advanced F-35 fighters and surveillance and refueling planes.

Military experts suggest that the exercise will practice safely transporting and mounting nuclear weapons onto fighter jets, as well as conducting training attacks with dummy bombs. NATO's nuclear policy chief, Nassima Barrows, stated that the exercise aims to demonstrate NATO's readiness to defend the alliance's territory and possess the necessary capabilities, though no actual nuclear weapons will be used.

The exercise is not related to current geopolitical events and is not directed against any specific country. However, NATO has consistently pointed to Russia as a main security concern, with Moscow previously accused of threatening to use its entire military arsenal, including nuclear weapons, against Kaliningrad. Russian officials have since denied these threats.

Russia also recently conducted a large-scale nuclear war games exercise, involving intercontinental missiles, strategic bombers, and a nuclear submarine. NATO is currently working on plans to expand nuclear deterrence in Europe, with potential options including the deployment of additional U.S. nuclear weapons. Experts from "The Bulletin" suggest that the U.S. may have already deployed B61-12 bombs to the Lakenheath air base in the UK.

In case of a further escalation of security threats, countries like Poland, Finland, and Lithuania could also be considered for nuclear weapon stationing. The plans primarily focus on non-strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed to target enemy troops, airfields, ports, command centers, and other military infrastructure. Compared to strategic nuclear weapons, non-strategic ones typically have lower explosive power and are often carried by fighter aircraft or missiles with shorter range or cruise missiles.

After the end of the Cold War, only about 100 B61-12 bombs were last estimated to be stationed across six NATO air bases in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has not ruled out the possibility of more U.S. nuclear weapons being stationed in Europe, but could not comment on the details of current negotiations due to security reasons.

The alliance continues to assess the required capabilities and the desired composition of the nuclear deterrent mix, with adjustments being made as needed.