Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons escorted French Rafale fighters during a simulated nuclear strike over the Mediterranean Sea as part of Exercise RUMMY, held on October 20 to 21, 2026, marking the first British participation in a French nuclear deterrence exercise.
The French Rafales departed Saint-Dizier Air Base in northeastern France before conducting the simulated strike under British fighter escort. No nuclear weapons were involved, according to a joint Franco-British statement issued on October 23 and obtained by AeroTime.
The drill aimed to improve coordination and interoperability between the RAF and France’s Strategic Air Forces [Forces aériennes stratégiques, FAS – ed. note], which operate the airborne component of the French nuclear deterrent. The number of aircraft involved and the participating RAF units were not disclosed.
“Having independent nuclear forces does not preclude coordination,” French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said in the statement, confirming that the British aircraft had participated on the evening of October 20.
From observing French nuclear drills to escorting Rafales
RUMMY follows the Northwood Declaration, signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 10, 2025. The agreement established that the countries’ nuclear forces remain independent but can be coordinated, and created a bilateral Nuclear Steering Group.
When the group first met in December 2025, British officials were invited to observe Operation Poker, the recurring French exercise that rehearses a nuclear air raid. It was the first time foreign officials had been granted access.
Less than a year later, British fighters have moved from observing French nuclear exercises to actively supporting a simulated strike.
France expands European nuclear cooperation
The exercise also comes as France seeks greater European involvement in its nuclear deterrence under the forward-deterrence concept Macron outlined in March 2026.
The exercise provided a concrete example of conventional support for nuclear operations (CSNO), an established concept within NATO whereby conventional forces support nuclear missions without carrying nuclear weapons themselves.
Beyond fighter escort, such support can include aerial refueling, electronic warfare, and suppression of enemy air defenses. France, however, retains exclusive control over its nuclear weapons and their potential use.
Germany is also pursuing closer cooperation. In July 2026, French Rafales and German Eurofighters conducted a joint air activity, while Berlin confirmed plans to participate in a French nuclear exercise before the end of the year.
The exercise comes as the RAF prepares to regain a nuclear strike role for the first time since Britain retired its WE177 nuclear bombs in 1998. London plans to acquire 12 F-35A fighters for NATO’s nuclear-sharing mission, with deliveries expected from the early 2030s.
Unlike France’s sovereign airborne deterrent, the RAF’s future nuclear mission would rely on weapons that are under US custody and control. Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent will remain submarine-based.
RUMMY is separate from that NATO mission, but demonstrates how British combat aircraft can already support nuclear operations through conventional fighter escort, even without carrying nuclear weapons themselves.