NATO Nuclear War Exercise Over Europe
From October 14 to 24, the U.S./NATO warmongering alliance conducted its annual nuclear war exercise code-named Steadfast Noon in Europe. The exercise involved fighter jets capable of carrying U.S. nuclear warheads which flew over Belgium and the Netherlands and in airspace over Denmark, the UK and the North Sea. NATO claims it does not involve any live weapons but recent statements and threats by the U.S. and Britain to further escalate their Ukraine proxy-war against Russia "without any limits" are echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte who took office on October 1.
People
worldwide are very
concerned about what the U.S. and its NATO war alliance are up
to. The
common U.S. military phrasing that “all options are on the
table” has long been part of their active use of nuclear weapons
to blackmail and threaten others, especially Russia and China
but
countries within NATO as well, to submit to U.S. dictate.
Resistance
in Korea and Vietnam were both threatened with nuclear weapons,
threats
which failed as the peoples emerged victorious. Use of the 2,000
pound
bombs, considered just short of nuclear, for massive human
destruction
in Palestine and Lebanon, add to the readiness of the U.S. to
potentially use nuclear weapons, especially those used in these
war
games branded as “tactical” weapons. Here too the
resistance is showing they will not be intimidated.
For this war game, NATO reports more than 60 aircraft took part. Steadfast Noon was largely geared towards testing the capabilities and resilience of the alliance using nuclear weapons as carried by the Panavia Tornado, the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, and, as of 2023, the F-35A. Other aircraft, such as the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, and those needed for other roles, such as aerial refuelling tankers and airborne electronic warfare, were also included.
Each of these bases have one or two dozen
active
vaults (Weapons Storage
Security System, WS3) inside as many protective aircraft
shelters.
Ramstein airbase in
Germany used to be the largest storage site in Europe but only
seven
vaults remain active
possibly for training and transfer. All weapons were withdrawn
from
Lakenheath before 2007
but the United Kingdom was recently added to the nuclear
infrastructure
storage
modernization program, which means there are now eight active
WS3 sites
in Europe.
NATO reports that the exercise involved 2,000 military personnel from 13 NATO allies operating out of airbases across Belgium and the Netherlands. Mission scenarios were flown across Danish and UK airspace over land and over the North Sea. The BBC reported: in Britain "RAF Lakenheath is currently home to the 48th Fighter Wing, also known as the Liberty Wing, with the latest generation F-35A Lightning II aircraft stationed there. According to the U.S. Air Force these fighter jets have successfully been flight tested to carry the short-range B61-12 thermonuclear bomb, a tactical weapon designed for the battlefield. Documents detailing a contract awarded to build defensive shelters for RAF Lakenheath's 'upcoming nuclear mission' were published, and then withdrawn, by the U.S. In addition, millions of dollars have been earmarked to build a facility known as a 'surety dormitory' at the base, which is understood to be storage facilities for nuclear weapons, according to a U.S. Department of Defense budget."[1] All are indications the U.S./NATO war alliance is building up its placement of nuclear weapons in Europe in preparation for their potential use.
The term "nuclear deterrence" is often called "a principle in
international relations." The retaliatory potential and
destructive
force of nuclear weapons in the hands of the big powers is said
to
prevent them from launching a nuclear attack. This leaves out
the role
of the peoples in standing against aggressive wars and nuclear
weapons
and that it is the peoples and their organized resistance that
is
decisive, as being demonstrated by the resistance in Palestine
and
Lebanon. War games such as these are designed to promote the
notion
that it is weapons that determine the outcome and the role of
the
people is to submit to the blackmail.
The U.S. has used its
nuclear arsenal from day one as a constant threat and to
blackmail
other countries to submit to U.S. dictate as part of
“deterrence.” The names used to describe the bombs and
aircraft participating in Steadfast
Noon
and the capabilities they are said to possess are designed to
instill
fear in the peoples of the world and those the U.S./NATO
alliance is
targeting.
|
The
According to reports, aircraft rehearsed dropping B61 and B61-12 thermonuclear bombs on Europe. Though called “tactical,” each one is up to 20 times more powerful than the weapon that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima in World War II, killing as many as 126,000 civilians. They are meant to wipe out human productive powers.
NATO claims that these nuclear war games in Europe "are routine," and admits that they previously took place in secret. The name Steadfast Noon was only declassified some six years ago. The exercises are not in accordance with the UN Treaty on Nuclear Disarmament, adopted by 122 countries, which legally came into force on January 22, 2021. The U.S. and Canada have refused to sign.[2]
Only three of NATO's 30 allies have nuclear weapons -– the U.S., Britain and France –- with Britain being the main nuclear ally of the U.S. France plays no direct role in NATO's threats and plans to use nuclear weapons and is not part of the alliance's secretive Nuclear Planning Group. This partly stems from the longstanding conflicts within NATO, including between the U.S., France and Germany. The fact that there is a planning group is yet another part of U.S. blackmail using nuclear weapons, to force the peoples of the world to submit to their rule. This is something the peoples of the world reject.
No to Nuclear Blackmail! Dismantle NATO!
Notes
1. Are U.S. nuclear weapons set to return to RAF Lakenheath? BBC News, February 18 2024
2. UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted by the Conference (by a vote of 122 States in favour, with one vote against and one abstention) at the United Nations on July 7, 2017, and opened for signature by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on September 20, 2017. Following the deposit with the Secretary-General of the 50th instrument of ratification or accession of the Treaty on October 24, 2020, it entered into force on January 22, 2021, in accordance with its article 15.
3. A report by Politico on President of Ukraine Zelensky, when he finally released his "victory plan" on October 16 to the Ukrainian Parliament, writes: "Ukraine proposes to deploy on its soil a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package that will be sufficient to protect Ukraine from any military threat from Russia... The exact weapons were not revealed by Zelensky in his speech to parliament, but he said leaders in the U.S., Germany, France and the UK know Kyiv's asks." Previously in 2022 Zelensky had called on NATO to carry out "pre-emptive" nuclear strikes against Russia.
(Janes, Reuters, NATO, Federation of American Scientists, TML Archives)
This article was published in
Thursday,
October 31, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/ITN2024/Articles/TI54432.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca