The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is set to begin its annual military drills in preparation for nuclear war. American B-52 bombers will be joined by advanced aircraft from other alliance members as they simulate a war of annihilation with Russia.

The war games, dubbed “Steadfast Noon,” will begin Monday and run through the end of October. Belgium is hosting the exercises which will take place over the North Sea and the United Kingdom. Some American aircraft will take off from bases in North Dakota.

According to a NATO press release, “Exercise “Steadfast Noon” involves 14 countries and up to 60 aircraft of various types, including fourth and fifth-generation fighter jets, as well as surveillance and tanker aircraft. As in previous years, US B-52 long-range bombers will take part.” It added, “as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated it would send the “wrong signal” to cancel the war games. “It would send a very wrong signal if we suddenly now canceled a routine, long-time planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine. That would be absolutely the wrong signal to send,” he said on Tuesday.

Stoltenberg argued that going through with nuclear war games is the best way to prevent nuclear war. “NATO’s firm, predictable behavior, our military strength, is the best way to prevent escalation.” He continued, “if we now created the grounds for any misunderstandings, miscalculations in Moscow about our willingness to protect and defend all allies, we would increase the risk of escalation.”

As Western military support for Ukraine has increased, the Kremlin has issued a warning that it would respond. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would defend Russian territory with the full arsenal at his disposal. While pushing forward with nuclear war games, Stoltenberg slammed Putin’s statement as “dangerous and reckless.”, Kyle Anzalone, the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, writes.

Bretitbart News writes: U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers will lead fighter jets from Belgium, Germany, and 12 other countries across Europe’s skies on annual nuclear exercises Monday, close to Russia’s border with NATO-member state Norway.

Up to 60 aircraft are taking part in training flights alongside the American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bombers over Belgium, the North Sea and Britain to practise the use of U.S. nuclear bombs based in Europe, Reuters reports.

The jets will be escorted by other warplanes along with refuelling aircraft and spy planes.

“Steadfast Noon” is likely to coincide with Moscow’s own annual nuclear drills, dubbed “Grom”, which are normally conducted in late October and in which Russia tests its nuclear-capable bombers, submarines and missiles.

200 US Marines deployed to “Nuclear” Aviano Air Base in Italy for Integrate Training with the F/A-18 Hornets alongside the F-16 Fighting Falcons

This happens a few days before the beginning of the big nuclear drills scheduled by NATO in Europe, writes  Fabio Giuseppe Carlo Carisio for Veterans Today.

«More than 200 U.S. Marines were deployed to Aviano AB, Italy, for approximately two months to integrate and train with the 510th Fighter Squadron as part of a dynamic force employment» highlighted Senior Airman Brooke Moeder of 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs on the Aviano Air Base website.

Thus is the content of a very interesting article posted on October, 13, 2022. only a few days before the beginning of the big drills nuclear drills scheduled by NATO in Europe.

Aviano, in the north-eastern region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, is one of the most important and strategic NATO and US Air Force bases on the Italian territory because it is one of the two that hosted the nuclear states as we saw in a previous investigation.

«Throughout the integration, Marines from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) flew F/A-18 Hornets alongside 510th F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots during each training opportunity. The deployment of the Marines has allowed pilots of both squadrons to test their knowledge and tactics against dissimilar aircraft» added Moeder.

During the flights there were opportunities to identify strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities, as well as sharpen skills and tactics between the squadrons.

“We’ve learned a lot about the capabilities and limitations of our two platforms working together,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Kyle Wilson, VMFA-323 executive officer. 

Joint operations allowed for each squadron to develop realistic training concepts and establish the necessary processes and relationships to smoothly deploy in the future, said Cole, Veterans Today writes.