【Global Times reporter Zhao Jiandong】According to Reuters, NATO officials announced on the 10th that the annual nuclear exercise "Steadfast Noon" will start next week. This exercise, hosted by the Netherlands, will see 71 aircraft from 14 countries participating. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a video recorded at the Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands that this exercise sends a clear message to any potential adversaries: "We are able and will protect all allies from all threats."

Dutch F-16 fighter jets participating in the "Steadfast Noon" nuclear exercise. Photo source: China Defense News

Reuters reported that, in addition to the Dutch base, air bases in Belgium's Kleine Brogel, the UK's Lakenheath, and Denmark's Skrydstrup will also participate in this exercise. Rutte said, "We need to do this because it helps our nuclear deterrent force remain as credible, safe, reliable, and effective as possible."

NATO officials also said that this exercise does not use nuclear weapons, but simulates scenarios where nuclear weapons might be used.

The report stated that Jim Stokes, NATO's nuclear policy chief, told the media that "Steadfast Noon" is a "routine" exercise, "not targeting any country, nor related to real international events."

In recent years, NATO has continuously increased the intensity of its nuclear exercises under the pretext of escalating external threats, causing serious impacts on regional situations and global strategic stability. Last year, NATO held the "Steadfast Noon" nuclear exercise for the third consecutive year since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with over 2,000 soldiers and more than 60 military aircraft from 13 countries participating. Finland participated for the first time as a member state. The exercise used eight military bases, with most of the activities taking place in the North Sea about 900 kilometers away from Russia, as well as locations in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK.

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