NATO is All Set to Kick Off Nuclear Drills!

NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization is in the headlines as it prepares to launch its annual nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon”. Approximately 60 aircraft will be taking part in training flights over Belgium, the North Sea, and Britain in order to practice the US nuclear bombs based in Europe.

NATO has made such a contentious decision amid aggravated tensions of repeated threats by Russia to make nuclear strikes on Ukraine after major military setbacks on the field.

Coincidentally “Steadfast Noon” will be exercised at the same time as when Moscow organizes its annual drill “Grom” in which Russia tests its Nuclear capabilities.

The annual exercise will involve 14 member states and will reportedly take place 1006 km from Russia.

“This is routine training that happens every year to keep our deterrence safe, secure and effective,” Stoltenberg stated in a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

When asked whether it was the wrong time to be holding such an exercise, Stoltenberg replied, “It would send a very wrong signal now if we suddenly cancelled a routine, long-time planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine.”

Stoltenberg said that President Vladimir Putin’s Nuclear rhetoric over the war in Ukraine is irresponsible,” and he said that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought.”

What is NATO?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a political and military alliance between 30 countries. On the political front, it promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and military-related issues to solve problems, built trust, and in the long run, prevent conflict.

On the Military front, the organization is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake Crisis Management Operations.

NATO carries out the Political and Military Duties under the collective defense clause of NATO’s founding treaty-The North Atlantic Treaty, Washington D.C. – 4 April 1949

History

5 members of the Western European Union (UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg) along with Canada, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and the US signed The North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 in order to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

After the signing of the NATO Treaty, NATO was the first peacetime treaty alliance the United States entered into outside the Western Hemispheres.

ACTIVITIES

• Decisions & Consultations- On a daily basis, Member countries take consultations regarding military and security issues.
• Operations & Missions-The organization takes an active role in a broad range of Crisis-management operations and missions
• Partnerships-The organization has security partners in 40 different countries
• Developing the means to respond to Threats-The organization has always innovated and adapted itself to ensure its policies, capabilities and structures meet current and future threats, including the collective defense of its members.

Key Events

• 1949-Signing of the Washington Treaty,” The birth of NATO”
• 1989-Fall of the Berlin Wall
• 1991-NATO develops partnerships with former adversaries after the break-up ofthe Soviet Union.
• 1995-NATO engages in its first major crisis-management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 2001-NATO invokes Article 5 for the first time ever and adopts a broader approach to security due to large scale terrorist attacks-“The 9/11 Attack” in New York and Washington D.C.
• 2003-The organization takes command of the International Security Assistance Force – ISAF – in Afghanistan.
• 2022–The organization adopts the 2022 Strategic Concept

A thought to Ponder: Will the NATO Drills, push PUTIN to React Further?

It will be interesting to see how the NATO decisions amidst the Russian-Ukraine Tensions affect the geopolitical future of the World!!