UK, France Conduct First Joint Nuclear Strike Simulation

RAF Typhoon jets escorted French Rafale jets over the Mediterranean on Oct. 20-21, 2026 in exercise Rummy, the first joint drill with France's airborne nuclear component. Rafales simulated a nuclear strike; no nuclear weapons were used. Crews took off together from Saint-Dizier air base with A330 MRTT tankers. Catherine Vautrin said, "Having independent nuclear forces doesn't exclude coordination." The French armed forces ministry said, "Our nuclear cooperation with the United Kingdom continues to deepen." Wes Streeting said adversaries should be in no doubt the United Kingdom and France stand united in commitment to European security and the deterrence that has helped preserve peace for generations. Etienne Marcuz called it "a revolution for the Strategic Air Forces, which have always operated in complete autonomy since their creation in the 1960s." The exercise advances the July 2025 Northwood Declaration. Media estimates put French warheads at 290 and British at 225. On March 2, 2026 Emmanuel Macron announced plans to raise France's stockpile from fewer than 300, and Friedrich Merz announced a France-Germany nuclear steering group.