STEADFAST NOON 2025

As you should know, STEADFAST NOON 2025 took place from 13-24 October 2025 (my good friend @Etienne_Marcuz has been killing it with detailed analyses on the topic - follow him on Twitter).

This year’s edition of STEADFAST NOON takes place 13-24 October, 2025, with Vokel Air Base, Netherlands, as the host. 71 aircraft from 14 Allies, and 2,000 troops - with the main exercise area over the North Sea. The exercise also will include Kleine Brogel AB, RAF Lakenheath, Leeuwarden AB, and Skrydsstrup AB.

Participating aircraft include:

• NATO E-3A AWACS

• RAF Voyager refueller

• US KC-135R refueller

• Swedish JAS-39 Gripens

• Finnish F/A-18s

• Dutch F-35As

• Polish and Czech L159s (as enemy airctaft, or the Red Team)

• Norwegian F-35As

• Four Danish F-35s.

Norway first particpiated in STEADFAST NOON in 2023 and 2024 with observers, and 2025 was the first time it flew alongside Allies with its DCA. Note that this also is Sweden’s first STEADFAST NOON since joining the Alliance.

Due to air tracking websites and NOTAMs, we are able to observe the exercise area and at least some of the exercise play. It appears NATO aircraft were simulating attacks on Leeuwarden AB with the Czech L159s defending.

STEADFAST NOON 2025 Day 2 (14 October 2025) analysis (by @Etienne_Marcuz):

• The second day of flying for NATO’s annual nuclear exercise, STEADFAST NOON 25, seems to have just concluded (or at least part of it). Some aircraft were trackable on the @ADSBex platform. An interesting detail: the “Red Force” (the adversaries to NATO aircraft) was likely played by at least two L159 light combat aircraft from the private company DRAKEN. The main action took place off the coast of the Netherlands, with a no-fly zone (NOTAM) ~240 km, mainly over the Sea, defended by the L159s. The L159s were flying from Leeuwarden Air Base, which was likely the area the Red Team was tasked with defending. A NATO E-3A airborne early warning and control aircraft was operating near the border between Germany and Luxembourg, possibly coordinating the exercise. Two aerial refueling aircraft—a Royal Air Force Voyager and a USAF KC-135R—were flying racetrack patterns to the west of the exercise area, likely supporting NATO aircraft involved in the exercise.

Day 2 imagery:

STEADFAST NOON 2025 DAY 3 (15 October 2025) analysis (by @Etienne_Marcuz):

• The scenario’s escalation was particularly noticeable today. Three tankers (2 MRTT and one KC-135R) and a NATO E-3A AEW&C aircraft were operating north of the exercise area, following a quite remarkable flight plan (see image).

• The two [Czech Republic-supplied] DRAKEN private company L159 light combat aircraft flew twice, using the callsigns DRAKEN01 & 02 and then DRAKEN26 & 27. Still wondering what is their exact role, can’t imagine the Reds being played only by those two.

• Other aircraft may also have been involved, including a Royal Air Force tanker and possibly another NATO E-3A operating off the Norwegian coast, but it is difficult to determine whether they were part of STEADFAST NOON or participating in another exercise.

• France appears to be training with Swedish air forces, as a French MRTT flew over Sweden for at least the second consecutive day.

• I am not sure if this was the third or fourth day of flights. The DRAKEN L159s have flown twice daily since Monday, but the exercise area NOTAM was not active on the 15th.

Day 3 imagery:

STEADFAST NOON 2025 DAY 5 (17 October 2025) analysis (by @Etienne_Marcuz, additional insights from @nukestrat):

• Second week of SN 25, including simulated nuclear strikes.

• Several combat aircraft took off from at least two NATO DCA airbases: a Belgian F-16 from Kleine Brogel Air Base, and two or three unidentified aircraft from the German airbase at Nörvenich, which hosts the Tornado DCA squadron as well as Eurofighters (EF-2000) (Büchel AB is being refitted for the F-35As, so Nörvenich AB is standing in). These aircraft headed toward the North Sea exercise area before their ADS-B signals were lost—either because they were out of range of ground receivers or because they turned off their transponders.

• In addition to this “strike package” (notably, one of the unidentified aircraft had the callsign “PACK31”), several tankers and at least one AEW&C command and control aircraft were flying north of the exercise area, following the same pattern as yesterday. And, of course, the two L-159s were also involved. I chose not to show them on the map in order to highlight the flightpath of the combat aircraft. Note that the points way off-track are glitches.

• Yesterday, I didn’t have time to closely monitor the activity to see if combat aircraft had also taken off from these bases. On Wednesday, an American F-15E, also DCA, was observed. In any case, it appears that a nuclear strike simulation took place today, involving Belgian and German aircraft. Thanks, ADS-B transponders!

STEADFAST NOON 2025 DAY 8 (Tuesday 21 October 2025) analysis (by @Etienne_Marcuz):

• Today, for the very first time, a group of very lucky journalists had the chance to observe NATO’s annual nuclear exercise, which we know about thanks to Teri Schultz (@terischultz). On this day, we know that Dutch F-35A stealth fighters simulated a nuclear strike. ADS-B transponders also revealed some new participants compared to last week, including an Italian KC-767A tanker—likely accompanied by fighter jets—and, more unexpectedly, a German A400M transport aircraft. Its flight profile matches an aerial refueling mission (a spotter photo from May 2025 shows it equipped with refueling pods), operating alongside two tankers from NATO’s Multinational MRTT Unit and the Italian KC-767A.

• Another interesting observation: five Belgian F-16s took off from Kleine Brogel Air Base, which hosts American B61 nuclear bombs. They appeared to be split into two groups: one F-16A and one F-16B (callsigns CONAN01 and 15) and three F-16As (callsigns MACE21, 22, and 24). It would be interesting to see if Belgian spotters managed to photograph them… One of the two DRAKEN LC159s playing the role of RED force returned to the UK. Technical issue? We’ll see if it’s replaced tomorrow. If I’m not mistaken, tomorrow is the last day the NOTAMs for the exercise area remain valid. Maybe we’ll see a grand finale then.

• Day 8 imagery:

STEADFAST NOON 2025 DAY 9 (Wednesday 22 October 2025) analysis:

• Aircraft involved include 1x US KC-135R refueller, 1x US D328 (Special Ops?), 1x US C-130J transport, 1x UK P8 Poseidon recon, 2x NL A330-243MRTTs refuellers, 1x IT KC-767A refueller, 1x DE A400M transport, around 10x BE F-16s, a CZ L159, 1x LU E3A AWACs, and some German Tornados out of Nörvenich Air Base (for Büchel).

• Belgian F-16s simulate an attack

• A German Tornado simulates an attack from Nörvenich Air Base.