(VOVWORLD) - NATO has concluded the annual nuclear exercise at Volkel airbase in the Netherlands, which included the German Air Force practicing delivery of US nuclear bombs believed to be stored at Büchel Air Base.
 The German Air Force practices delivery of US nuclear bombs believed to be stored at Büchel Air Base. (photo: AFP) |
It involved more than 50 aircrafts from several allied forces. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the exercise shows that allies are determined to ensure that NATO’s nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, and effective. The purpose of NATO’s nuclear deterrent is not to provoke a conflict but to preserve peace, deter aggression, and prevent coercion, he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that such exercises lead to lowering the threshold for use of nuclear weapons, incite tensions through Russia-NATO line of contacts, and adversely affect the level of trust in Europe.