The planes are equipped to carry American nuclear bombs Top secret European scenario details

"Stadfast Noon" exercise is held regularly. However, in the current geopolitical situation, any conventional military activity becomes more important, and observers evaluate it through the lens of the possibility of a confrontation between the East and the West.

What is everyone's role in the NATO nuclear club?

"Stadfast Noon" exercise is held regularly. However, in the current geopolitical situation, any conventional military activity becomes more important, and observers evaluate it through the lens of the possibility of a confrontation between the East and the West.

According to Ambassador Arjan, Italy will host NATO's annual nuclear deterrence exercise called "Standfast Noon" from October 13 to 23, 2026. This exercise will be held at Aviano and Geddi air bases in northern Italy. Military flights and exercises using simulated nuclear weapons will be conducted in designated airspace over the Tyrrhenian Sea and other areas under NATO jurisdiction in southern and western Europe. The purpose of these exercises is to prepare NATO aircraft for the possible deployment of American nuclear weapons that are kept in the country's air bases in Europe.

This year's exercise will feature an unprecedented number of participants: 17 NATO member states, compared to 14 in 2025 and 13 in 2024. Although the full list of participating countries has not been announced, the participation of the United States, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Türkiye has been confirmed. It is likely that Romania and Poland will also participate in this exercise by providing fighter support and ensuring operational coordination and integration along NATO's eastern flank. New NATO members, Sweden and Finland, are also fully involved in training missions. Finland may host US nuclear weapons in the future, and this country has already started the process of buying F-35 fighter planes.

It is noteworthy that France does not participate in the NATO nuclear planning group and does not participate in these exercises either; An issue that is likely related to the country's independent nuclear capabilities to carry weapons through the air.

About 70 military aircraft and more than 2 thousand military forces will participate in this exercise. The main focus is on aircraft capable of simultaneously carrying conventional and nuclear weapons. Currently, these aircraft in Europe include F-35A Lightning II multirole fighters, German Tornado IDS attack aircraft and F-16 multirole fighters. In the framework of the American nuclear weapons sharing program, these European planes are equipped to carry American nuclear bombs. In addition, Sweden's Jas 39 Gripen fighters will also participate in the exercise; However, these planes are not equipped to carry American nuclear bombs.

American B-52H bombers provide strategic support to tactical air units. Air refueling during the exercises held over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea will be carried out by KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-767A refueling planes. Coordination of aircraft operations will be the responsibility of NATO's AWACS A-3A Sentry aircraft. Also, logistic support will be provided through Airbus A400M military transport planes.

The official operational scenario of these exercises is strictly confidential. However, it can be inferred that the exercises are focused on the redeployment of attack aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, aerial refueling operations and coordination between the air forces of different NATO member countries. Military forces are trained to safely transport simulated nuclear warheads from underground weapons storage facilities, attach them to aircraft, perform aerial refueling, and coordinate the actions of air forces and ground service units in the event of a nuclear alert.

The important point is that simulated bombs are used in these exercises, not real bombs; No real nuclear weapons are installed on the planes and no real weapons are used during the training. All attacks and deployment operations of nuclear weapons are electronically simulated.

What kind of nuclear weapons might be used in the 2026 exercise? We know that US B61 series tactical thermonuclear bombs are stored in Europe; including at Aviano Air Base.

B61-3 and B61-4 bombs belong to the penultimate generation of nuclear bombs. These bombs are of free fall (gravitational) type; That is, to reach the goal, they fall to the ground after being released from the plane. Their explosive power can be adjusted according to the mission requirements determined before the aircraft takes off; This power varies from a minimum of 0.3 kilotons to a maximum of 45 to 50 kilotons, in terms of TNT equivalent.

The B61-12 bomb is the latest modified version in the US arsenal. One of the special features of this model is the set of end blocks produced by Boeing, which turns a normal bomb into a guided and precise weapon. The high accuracy of this bomb makes it possible to reduce its explosive power, without reducing its ability to destroy heavily fortified command centers and other vital targets. In addition, reducing the power of the explosion significantly limits the radioactive pollution caused by the explosion in the surrounding areas. The B61-12 bombs are gradually replacing older nuclear munitions in the US nuclear arsenal.

The most important systems for launching and carrying B61-12 bombs include the American F-16C/D Fighting Falcon fighters as well as the fifth generation F-35A fighters; Fighters that are gradually joining the air forces of European countries that are members of NATO.

As mentioned earlier, the "Stadfast Noon" exercise is held regularly. However, in the current geopolitical situation, any normal military activity becomes more important and observers evaluate it through the lens of the possibility of a confrontation between the East and the West.

On the one hand, NATO emphasizes the defensive nature of these exercises and the number of aircraft participating in them is relatively limited; For example, only three German Tornado aircraft are present in this exercise. On the other hand, the number of participating countries is steadily increasing, and now many NATO member countries have aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons; Especially F-35 fighters.

Although Finland may participate in these exercises more as a student and observer for now, Finnish F-35 fighters may soon be ready to carry nuclear bombs.

This feeling is getting stronger day by day that this "train" is moving in the wrong direction. Increasing the number of "Chekhov's guns" is unlikely to help establish a lasting peace in Europe.

It may be wiser for Europe to focus on peaceful initiatives instead of militarizing and expanding potential nuclear weapons platforms.