France and Germany deepen nuclear deterrence cooperation; French nuclear-capable Rafale deployed to German base for first time

Published Jul 22, 09:39 AM UTC

France and Germany have moved from words to action in nuclear deterrence cooperation. A French nuclear-capable Rafale jet was temporarily hosted at Germany's Nörvenich air base near Cologne, marking the first such deployment. The leaders announced that Germany will participate in France's upcoming 'Poker' nuclear exercise in September with conventional forces. 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. Nine countries from Norway to Greece have joined the initiative. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the cooperation complements, not competes with, NATO's U.S.-led nuclear sharing arrangements. France remains the only EU country with its own nuclear arsenal post-Brexit. The cooperation comes despite recent strains in Franco-German defense relations following the collapse of the joint FCAS project.