France, Britain hold first nuclear strike drill in Mediterranean
The Oct. 20 Rummy exercise used no live warheads but marked fresh coordination between two Western European nuclear powers.
France and Britain for the first time held a joint air exercise simulating a nuclear strike over the Mediterranean Sea. The drill, codenamed Rummy, took place on Oct. 20 and involved French Rafale jets escorted by RAF Typhoons after taking off from a base in northeastern France. The two countries' defense ministries said the exercise followed security procedures and did not involve any live nuclear weapons. Paris and London said the maneuver was aimed at strengthening coordination between two Western European nuclear powers as tensions with Russia remain high amid the war in Ukraine. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said having an independent nuclear force does not prevent coordination. British Defense Minister Wes Streeting said the exercise opened a new chapter in the two countries' nuclear defense cooperation.