British Typhoon fighters took part in a French nuclear exercise for the first time. Royal Air Force aircraft escorted French Rafales in a joint flight over the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Rummy maneuver. The exercise simulated a nuclear attack.
The French aircraft took off from the Saint-Dizier air base in northeastern France and were then escorted by British fighters. This is the first joint exercise involving the French air force and British fighter jets.
Paris and London deepen coordination
“The existence of independent nuclear forces does not exclude coordination“, said French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin.
“Our nuclear cooperation with the United Kingdom continues to deepen: on Tuesday evening, British “Typhoon“ fighters participated for the first time in a French nuclear exercise together with “Rafale“ fighters,“ indicated Vautrin.
France and Britain agreed in July 2025 to strengthen their cooperation in the field of nuclear arsenals. The decision was presented as a response to growing threats to Europe and uncertainty about US support for European security.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the two countries were united in their commitment to European security and to maintaining deterrence.
The French Nuclear Initiative
In March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would increase its nuclear arsenal. He also suggested that European partners participate in joint exercises, as well as discuss the possibility of temporarily deploying French nuclear assets on their territory.
France maintains an arsenal of 290 weapons with sea and air bases and allocates about 5.6 billion euros annually for it. Great Britain has 225 nuclear warheads. For comparison, Russia and the United States have over 5,000 nuclear warheads each.
Sources: news.bg, marketscreener.com