Steadfast Noon

Steadfast Noon is NATO’s annual nuclear deterrence exercise conducted to ensure the alliance’s operational readiness and to reaffirm its commitment to collective defence. The exercise tests the procedures and coordination required for deploying nuclear-capable aircraft, although no live nuclear weapons are used during the drills.

Background and Objectives

Steadfast Noon forms a vital part of NATO’s deterrence strategy, designed to maintain and demonstrate the credibility of the alliance’s nuclear posture. The 2025 edition, hosted primarily at Volkel Airbase in the Netherlands, will feature 71 aircraft from 14 member nations, with additional activity at airbases in Belgium, Britain, and Denmark. These exercises focus on improving interoperability among allied forces, strengthening collective response mechanisms, and ensuring that the alliance remains ready to act decisively under any nuclear contingency scenario.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasised that Steadfast Noon plays a crucial role in sustaining an effective nuclear deterrent. By practising realistic procedures without employing live nuclear weapons, the exercise reaffirms NATO’s dual commitment to deterrence and responsible security management. It also underlines the alliance’s adherence to international arms control principles while maintaining readiness against emerging threats.

Structure and Operational Framework

The exercise involves a range of aircraft, including dual-capable fighter jets, refuelling tankers, and surveillance platforms, simulating missions related to the handling, delivery, and coordination of nuclear weapons. Operational drills focus on the efficiency of command and control systems, ensuring that the complex coordination between air, ground, and command units is both reliable and responsive.
Typical Steadfast Noon operations include:

• Mission planning simulations to test decision-making within NATO’s nuclear command structure.
• Air-to-air and air-to-ground manoeuvres for operational accuracy and timing.
• Secure communications exercises to evaluate interoperability and information sharing.
• Emergency response drills to assess safety and procedural compliance.

Although conducted as a routine training event, the exercise carries significant strategic symbolism, reinforcing NATO’s message of unity and preparedness to both allies and potential adversaries.

The NATO Nuclear Planning Group

The NATO Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) is the alliance’s principal body for deliberating on nuclear policy. Founded in December 1966, the NPG was established to enhance consultation and coordination among member states regarding nuclear doctrine, deployment, and arms control policies.
The group meets regularly—often at the ministerial level—to review and set the alliance’s nuclear policies in response to the evolving global security environment. It is chaired by the NATO Secretary General and currently includes all NATO members except France, which has opted not to participate in the NPG’s activities.
The NPG’s functions include:

• Evaluating NATO’s nuclear posture in light of strategic developments.
• Formulating and updating nuclear policy guidelines to maintain deterrence credibility.
• Facilitating consultations on arms control, non-proliferation, and risk reduction.
• Providing policy direction for nuclear forces assigned to NATO.

Before each Steadfast Noon exercise, the Nuclear Planning Group convenes to review strategic considerations and ensure that NATO’s deterrence framework aligns with current geopolitical conditions. Through this mechanism, the alliance maintains an integrated approach that combines military readiness with political oversight.

Strategic Context and Current Developments

The resumption of major deterrence exercises such as Steadfast Noon takes place amid a period of fluctuating nuclear tensions, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That conflict reawakened concerns about the potential use of nuclear weapons and the fragility of global arms control mechanisms.
However, more recent diplomatic engagements have signalled a tentative easing of nuclear tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend the limits of the New START Treaty for an additional year has been viewed as a constructive step towards preserving strategic stability. Despite these gestures, NATO continues to emphasise the importance of maintaining a robust and credible deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist.

NATO and Collective Defence

Established in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a political and military alliance comprising 31 member states from Europe and North America. Its central principle, enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, affirms that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all.
NATO’s deterrence and defence posture rests on three complementary pillars: nuclear forces, conventional forces, and missile defence capabilities. Within this structure, the nuclear element serves as the ultimate guarantee of allied security, preventing aggression through credible deterrence. The alliance maintains a combination of U.S. strategic nuclear forces, nuclear-sharing arrangements, and collective decision-making mechanisms to ensure that deterrence remains balanced, shared, and politically accountable.

The New START Treaty and Global Arms Control

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), signed in 2010 between the United States and Russia, remains the last active bilateral arms control agreement between the two nuclear superpowers. The treaty imposes strict limits on deployed nuclear weapons and delivery systems:

• 1,550 deployed strategic warheads per side,
• 700 deployed launchers (including missiles and bombers), and
• 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers in total.

The treaty also establishes robust verification mechanisms, such as on-site inspections and regular data exchanges, enhancing mutual transparency and reducing the likelihood of miscalculation. NATO supports the continuation of such treaties, viewing them as essential complements to its deterrence strategy and as frameworks for fostering global strategic stability.

Strategic Significance of Steadfast Noon

Steadfast Noon represents the practical manifestation of NATO’s policy of deterrence and dialogue. It underscores the alliance’s collective resolve to maintain peace through preparedness while simultaneously promoting arms control and non-proliferation.