France and UK Hold First Nuclear Strike Simulation in the Mediterranean

The French and British air forces have held their first joint exercise simulating a nuclear strike. Codenamed Rummy, the drill involved Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets and French Rafale aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea.

According to AFP on Saturday (24 October 2026), statements from the two countries’ defence ministries said the exercise was conducted in accordance with security procedures, did not involve real nuclear weapons and aimed to improve coordination between the two nuclear powers in Western Europe.

After taking off from a base in north-eastern France, “French Rafale aircraft, escorted by RAF Typhoon jets, carried out a simulated nuclear strike”, the statement said.

The exercise took place amid persistently high tensions between NATO member states and nuclear-armed Russia, around four and a half years after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron has offered to extend France’s nuclear deterrent protection to other European allies, as France is now the European Union’s only nuclear power following Brexit.

French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said that “possessing an independent nuclear force does not preclude coordination”. She added that the joint exercise with the UK showed that “our nuclear forces can contribute more significantly to NATO’s overall security”.

In the French-language version of the joint statement, British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the exercise as a new chapter in the UK-France relationship on nuclear defence.

“This exercise demonstrates the depth of our partnership, the credibility of our nuclear deterrent and our determination to remain united in the face of emerging threats,” he said.

In a post on his X account, Streeting added: “This is an important step in UK-France defence cooperation, as well as a clear signal that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies in safeguarding European security and ensuring a credible deterrent.”