U.S. B-52 strategic bomber to be used in NATO nuclear deterrence exercise [자료사진: 연합뉴스 제공]
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has started its annual nuclear deterrence exercise scheduled for the 17th local time even in the midst of a crisis in Ukraine’s war.
According to NATO, this year’s nuclear deterrence exercise ‘Stedfast Noon’, which will be held from this day to the 30th, was organized by Belgium and participated by 14 NATO member countries and 60 air forces, including the US strategic bomber B-52.
The training is conducted over Belgium, the North Sea, and the UK, and live ammunition is not used.
Steadfast Noon is known as a regular exercise to check the operational capability of the NATO-style ‘nuclear sharing system’ assuming a nuclear war scenario.
It is reported that the U.S. currently has regarding 150 air-dropping B-61 tactical nuclear bombs in five European countries, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. no see.
It is interpreted as a way to show off military solidarity between the West and send a ‘warning message’ to Russia in a detour at the same time as the war in Ukraine.
On the other hand, there are predictions that Russia might use the exercise as a pretext to launch a large-scale armed demonstration.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that the training was conducted using intercontinental ballistic missiles and ICBMs, Yars, and announced that it had formed a regional coalition with its ally Belarus under the pretext of protecting the border.