Britain and France carry out first-ever joint nuclear drills in ‘decisive milestone’

Britain and France carry out first-ever joint nuclear drills in ‘decisive milestone’ | Freelance News Reporter Published October 23, 2026 4:59pm Updated October 23, 2026 4:59pm RAF Typhoons joined French Rafale fighters for the first-ever joint Nuclear exercise over the Mediterranean Sea this week (Picture: Ministére des Armées et des Anciens combattants and French Embassy UK) Britain and France conducted drills to respond to a possible nuclear attack in the first exercise of its kind, the French government has confirmed. RAF Typhoon Jets joined French Rafale fighters for a simulated nuclear strike in an operation named ‘Rummy’ this week. The two air forces took off from Saint-Dizier base in north-eastern Franceon Tuesday evening before conducting a nuclear drill over the Mediterranean Sea. The exercise, which consolidates Anglo-French military co-operation, was carried out without discharging any real nuclear projectiles. Catherine Vautrin, the French armed forces and veterans minister, said the drill marked a ‘decisive milestone’ in the two nations’ defence partnership. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. She said: ‘Having nuclear forces does not exclude collaboration. The exercise, named Rummy, saw British and French jets take off from Saint-Dizier base in what was labelled a ‘decisive milestone’ in defence co-operation (Picture: Ministére de Armées et des Anciens combattants and French Embassy UK) ‘Our nuclear co-operation with the United Kingdom does not cease to deepen: on Tuesday evening, Typhoon fighters participated for the first time in a nuclear exercise alongside Rafale fighters. ‘By co-ordination, our nuclear forces demonstrate they can contribute increasingly significantly to the global security of the alliance and the peace and stability of the Euro-Atlantic zone.’ France and Britain are Europe’s two major nuclear powers, with no other countries on the continent holding self-developed weapons of mass destruction, although US-made NATO shared weapons are stored in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. British defence secretary Wes Streeting confirmed this week’s exercise was the first in which RAF jets had joined French forces for nuclear drills. He added: ‘It’s a landmark step in UK-France defence co-operation and a clear signal that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies on European security and credible deterrence.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Man dies after catching Shamonda virus detected in humans for first time Arrow MORE: Two men re-arrested for helping ‘foreign intelligence’ in RAF Fairford probe with ‘Iran behind’ activity Arrow MORE: Dramatic pictures show curfews in Paris after France witnesses the worst rioting in years News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.