Steadfast Noon 2025

Steadfast Noon is NATO’s annual nuclear deterrence exercise. It is a major test of the alliance’s nuclear readiness and capabilities. Each year, the exercise is hosted by a different NATO member country.

The 2025 edition of Steadfast Noon is being hosted by the Netherlands, with Volkel Air Base serving as the main operating site. The exercise involves simulated nuclear operations but does not include the use of actual nuclear weapons.

In addition to the Netherlands, several air bases across Europe will be involved in the exercise. These include:

Kleine Brogel in Belgium

Lakenheath in the United Kingdom

Skrydstrup in Denmark

A total of around 70 aircraft from 14 NATO countries will participate in the exercise. These include both conventional aircraft and dual-capable aircraft (DCA). Dual-capable aircraft are those that can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.

Examples include: Germany’s Tornado jets F-35 fighter jets from the United States and Netherlands

The participating countries include the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, United States, Finland, and Poland, among others.

Although the aircraft and pilots involved in Steadfast Noon are certified for nuclear missions, no nuclear weapons are actually loaded or flown during the exercise.

France is not participating in Steadfast Noon. This is because France maintains independent control of its nuclear forces and does not integrate them into NATO’s nuclear command-and-control structure or its decision-making process.