France and Germany deepen nuclear ties: French nuclear-capable Rafale jets temporarily hosted in Germany, joint drills set for September

Published Jul 22, 09:39 AM UTC

Nuclear cooperation between France and Germany has moved from words to action, with French nuclear-capable Rafale jets temporarily hosted at Germany's Nörvenich air base and joint exercises scheduled for September. The leaders of both countries, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, announced the deepening of strategic atomic ties during a meeting of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council on July 17, 2026. This follows the formation of a 'nuclear steering group' in March as part of France's new 'forward deterrence' doctrine, which extends its nuclear umbrella to European allies. Germany is among nine countries that have joined the initiative. Merz emphasized that this cooperation supplements, rather than competes with, NATO's existing U.S.-led nuclear sharing arrangements. Macron described Germany as playing a 'vanguard role' in European deterrence. The collaboration includes joint exercises, shared operational practices, and potential basing of French nuclear-capable aircraft in other European countries, while France retains sole sovereignty over nuclear weapons and decision-making.