Dutch Nuclear-Capable F-35s Take Central Role in NATO’s Steadfast Noon Exercise.

Dutch F-35A fighters certified for NATO’s nuclear mission are taking a central role in Steadfast Noon 2026, which began in Italy on 13 October with aircraft from 17 Allied nations, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence. As the first European country to field the F-35 as a nuclear-certified Dual Capable Aircraft, the Netherlands is bringing fifth-generation stealth, survivability, and strike capability into NATO’s nuclear-sharing posture, marking a significant shift in how the Alliance prepares to sustain credible deterrence against increasingly sophisticated air defenses.

Dutch nuclear-certified F-35A fighter jets are participating in NATO’s Steadfast Noon 2026 exercise in Italy, reinforcing the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence readiness (Picture Source: U.S. Air Force)

NATO’s annual nuclear deterrence exercise is putting one of Europe’s most strategically important fighter capabilities back into the spotlight, with Dutch F-35As contributing to Steadfast Noon 2026. The exercise began in Italy on 13 October 2026, bringing together aircraft and personnel from 17 Allied nations to rehearse the procedures supporting NATO’s nuclear mission. For the Netherlands, the significance goes far beyond participating in another multinational air exercise: its F-35s are certified for both conventional and nuclear missions. The Dutch Ministry of Defence says the Netherlands is the first European country to achieve nuclear certification with this type of Dual Capable Aircraft.

The Dutch contribution marks a fundamental step in the modernization of NATO’s airborne nuclear deterrent. Since 1 June 2024, the F-35A has fully taken over the Netherlands’ NATO nuclear mission from the F-16 following an extensive testing and certification process. Volkel Air Base remains home to the Dutch dual-capable F-35 force, with one squadron assigned to the mission. The achievement made the Netherlands the first European NATO member to transition its nuclear role to the F-35 and, according to the U.S. Department of War, the second NATO Ally after the United States to operationally certify the F-35A for the Dual Capable Aircraft mission. This places the Royal Netherlands Air Force at the leading edge of NATO’s transition from legacy fourth-generation nuclear-capable fighters toward a fifth-generation deterrence force.

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Nuclear-capable does not mean that Dutch F-35s are carrying nuclear weapons during Steadfast Noon. NATO says no live nuclear weapons are used in the exercise. Nor does nuclear sharing mean that the Netherlands possesses an independent nuclear arsenal. Under NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements, the United States retains absolute custody and control of its forward-deployed nuclear weapons in Europe, while selected Allies provide certified Dual Capable Aircraft, trained crews and supporting capabilities. If required in a conflict and politically authorized, those aircraft form part of the Alliance system designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Nuclear sharing is about sharing responsibility for deterrence rather than transferring ownership of nuclear weapons.

The F-35A adds an important new dimension to that system because the aircraft has been developed and certified to employ the U.S. B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb. During the F-35A’s nuclear design certification process, U.S. test aircraft released representative B61-12 test weapons under operationally realistic conditions. The U.S. Department of War has described the broader transition to the F-35 and B61-12 as strengthening the military effectiveness and credibility of NATO’s nuclear deterrent. Compared with older-generation platforms, the F-35 combines low-observable characteristics with advanced sensors, data fusion and networked operations, giving NATO a nuclear-capable aircraft designed to operate in increasingly sophisticated threat environments.

That is where the Netherlands increasingly acts as a force multiplier for NATO. The strategic value of the Dutch contribution cannot be measured simply by counting fighter aircraft. A relatively compact air force now fields a platform capable of conventional strike, air defence, intelligence gathering and information sharing while also supporting one of NATO’s most sensitive strategic missions. The F-35 can collect and distribute battlefield information across a wider force while its survivability complicates an adversary’s defensive planning. Nuclear certification adds another layer: Dutch aircraft and crews now contribute directly to a deterrence structure intended to convince a potential opponent that aggression against NATO could carry unacceptable consequences. In this sense, the Netherlands generates strategic effects significantly greater than the numerical size of its fighter fleet might suggest.

Steadfast Noon also demonstrates that credible nuclear deterrence involves far more than a nuclear bomb and the aircraft capable of delivering it. NATO’s nuclear posture depends on trained aircrews, secure command and control, intelligence, communications, conventional fighter support, air-to-air refuelling, surveillance and other Allied capabilities operating together. NATO notes that even Allies without Dual Capable Aircraft contribute through conventional support, planning, exercises and nuclear consultations. The participation of 17 countries in Steadfast Noon underlines the collective nature of the mission: a small number of specialized nuclear-capable aircraft sit within a much larger multinational military and political system designed to keep the deterrent credible.

The timing also carries strategic weight even though NATO stresses that Steadfast Noon is a long-planned and routine exercise that is neither linked to current world events nor directed against any specific country. Its purpose is to maintain readiness and verify the procedures behind what NATO describes as a safe, secure, effective and credible deterrent. For the Netherlands, participation with nuclear-certified F-35s demonstrates that its nuclear-sharing commitment is no longer based on a legacy F-16 capability but on one of NATO’s most advanced combat aircraft. The exercise consequently provides both practical training and a visible demonstration that the Alliance continues to invest in the credibility and survivability of its nuclear posture.

The Dutch role in Steadfast Noon 2026 illustrates a broader transformation taking place inside NATO. The Netherlands is not becoming an independent nuclear power; instead, it is becoming increasingly important to the credibility of the Alliance’s existing nuclear deterrent. As the first European country to operate a nuclear-certified F-35 in the Dual Capable Aircraft role, it has become an early operational bridge between NATO’s legacy nuclear-sharing architecture and a new generation built around the F-35 and B61-12. By combining stealth, advanced sensors, conventional combat power and nuclear certification in a single platform, the Dutch F-35 force gives a relatively small NATO member an outsized strategic role, and offers a preview of how Europe’s airborne nuclear deterrence is likely to evolve in the years ahead.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.