NATO opens nuclear training to media amid global tensions

DW (English)

NATO has for the first time invited media to its annual nuclear readiness drill, pointedly coinciding with a similar Russian exercise. DW went to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands to observe the training bringing together 14 nations, including the US.

Transcript

00:00This is what NATO wants the world to see.

00:08A nuclear weapons training mission, usually top secret, now on show.

00:14The openness will help us to understand for everybody in the public in NATO

00:19that this mission is important and it helps our deterrence.

00:23These are some of the 70 aircraft involved in the exercise,

00:27which took place largely over the North Sea.

00:30The US is included in the 14 NATO allies taking part in the two-week mission.

00:37The mission is in case of need that we actually deploy nuclear weapons

00:42with this type of aircraft and some other aircraft as well.

00:46So multiple dual-capable aircraft.

00:49And dual-capable tells as much as that you can do conventional attacks with it,

00:54but also nuclear attacks.

00:56And multiple countries in NATO do that.

01:00For years, journalists wouldn't be given any information about this kind of exercise.

01:06But this year, NATO wants visibility. Why?

01:10Of course, the real-world situation and the fact that we are open comes together,

01:15but it's not necessarily linked to that per se.

01:19But I think it also helps for the deterrence to be open about it and to speak out.

01:26The exact scenario they practice remains classified and the planes don't carry weapons.

01:33Fake scenario, real message. That message is one of deterrence with the most terrifying weapons known to mankind.

01:41NATO wants to show, if there's an attack, there will be a response.

01:46And the audience includes, of course, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

01:51But potential aggressors are not the only audience this open exercise is aimed at.

01:58Is this also a message to the people at the eastern flank of NATO? A sign of support?

02:04I think that's the bigger part, the support to the people and understand that for the NATO allies,

02:11that we are capable of doing this and that we are ready and trained for it,

02:15that we can be as good as we can be to deter the people that would step into our countries and our NATO ally force.

02:24NATO hopes it never needs to use this training.

02:28But the point of deterrence is to let the right people know they are ready, if they have to.

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