France and Germany carried out their first joint air exercise as a part of the ahead deterrence initiative, a day earlier than saying new applications as a part of an elevated protection cooperation.
Two Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (French Air and House Drive – FASF) Dassault Rafales and two Luftwaffe (German Air Drive) Eurofighter Typhoons carried out their first “joint air exercise” on Jul. 16, 2026, supporting Paris’ “ahead deterrence” initiative. Throughout the flight the fighters have been refueled by a French A330 ‘Phenix’ MRTT.
The drill, that noticed the involvement of two twin-seater Rafale Bs from France’s Strategic Air Forces (Forces Aériennes Stratégiques – FAS) at Saint-Dizier air base (BA 113) and two Eurofighters of the Luftwaffe’s thirty first Tactical Air Wing, got here a day previous to the Franco-German Protection and Safety Council summit held in Nörvenich, Germany.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accompanied by their respective cupboards, introduced on Jul. 17 a collection of navy strategic and protection industrial collaborations. Amongst these there’s a “German standard participation in a French nuclear train,” as per a separate assertion from the Élysée Palace.
It is a reference to the recurring Poker nuclear train, France’s flagship nuclear deterrence drill, of which the primary iteration in 2026 was held between Mar. 16 and 17. The newest strikes additionally construct upon a Mar. 2, 2026 joint declaration, with which the 2 nations laid the inspiration for the joint strategic navy collaboration.
📍Dissuasion nucléaire | Déclaration commune des forces armées allemandes et françaises. pic.twitter.com/leQcACgC2o
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) July 17, 2026
Joint air train
Specifying that the most recent joint air exercise “didn’t contain nuclear weapons,” France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces stated that the fighters carried out “particular maneuvers.” The plane then proceeded to the Luftwaffe’s Nörvenich air base, which hosted the Council assembly the subsequent day, on Jul. 17.
The only picture launched by the French Joint Employees reveals the 2 Eurofighters and two Rafale Bs to the A330’s starboard (right-side), with the tanker flying with each its underwing refuelling hoses prolonged.
The Rafales are carrying two MICA-IR air-to-air missiles on the wing suggestions, in addition to 4 MICA-RFs on the outermost weapons stations and the fuselage’s mounting factors, along with exterior gasoline tanks. The German Eurofighters are flying with a single IRIS-T missile and a Litening concentrating on pod, along with exterior gasoline tanks.
Deutschland und Frankreich vertiefen ihre Zusammenarbeit in der Verteidigung. Wir stärken die europäische Abschreckung. Noch in diesem Jahr werden wir uns an einer nuklearen Übung der französischen Streitkräfte beteiligen. pic.twitter.com/zTtA1eoCHY
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) July 17, 2026
The French MAF stated: “Two French Rafales plane from the Saint-Dizier airforce base and two German Eurofighter from Nörvenich airforce base joined a French MRTT Phenix for air-to-air refuelling. This exercise marks the primary operational step throughout the framework of bilateral strategic cooperation agreed upon by President Macron and Chancellor Merz within the Joint Declaration of March 2, 2026. As well as, this endeavour has additionally contributed to extend general interoperability of French and German air forces (sic).”
France, Germany lead European protection, increase ties
Each German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron dedicated to strengthening European deterrence by deeper protection collaboration that drives European trade and enhances financial resilience. Merz then acknowledged on X that Germany will take part in a “nuclear train of the French armed forces” this 12 months.
En Allemagne, le Conseil des ministres franco-allemand que nous co-présidons aujourd’hui avec le Chancelier Friedrich Merz doit nous permettre de renforcer notre compétitivité, notre sécurité et notre défense et la résilience de nos démocraties.
Le réflexe franco-allemand…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 17, 2026
Merz welcomed Macron at Nörvenich air base close to Cologne, with the 2 leaders rising from a Tremendous Puma helicopter – itself a logo of profitable French-German cooperation. They then presided over the joint protection and safety council assembly held subsequent to a French Rafale jet and a Eurofighter.
The Franco-German nuclear deterrence cooperation follows France’s proactive function in reinforcing NATO’s japanese flank earlier than Russia with assist to Ukraine, strengthening its nuclear deterrent and later increasing it to cowl Europe. It has additionally reopened Luxeuil Air Base with an funding of €1.5 billion and commenced work on the ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missile.
France is stepping up protection cooperation with its European companions. President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have agreed to extend protection cooperation, with Germany set to hitch a French nuclear train later this 12 months. In the meantime, Poland and France have… pic.twitter.com/EUqTHiNtlH
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) July 18, 2026
The 2 nations are additionally motivated by repairing their relations following the collapse of the sixth era Future Fight Air System (FCAS) mission. “The goal is for the 2 nations to ‘bounce again’ from final month’s implosion of the joint Future Fight Air System (FCAS) fighter jet mission, which fell sufferer to bickering between Airbus and France’s Dassault,” France24 stated whereas quoting Macron.
Franco-German Protection and Safety Council
The discharge by the Elysee Palace highlighted the broader “escalating hybrid threats” in Europe amid a Russian risk to NATO with its “unlawful warfare of aggression towards Ukraine.” The assertion recognized six areas of bilateral safety protection cooperation and consensus on flashpoints like Iran and Lebanon.
The Nuclear Steering Group, established on Mar. 2 by “confidential consultations,” will work on “standard, Deep Precision Strike and missile defence capabilities with nuclear deterrence, to be able to enhance our capacity to handle escalation beneath the nuclear threshold and to develop the mandatory standard capabilities.”
Pendant que la France dort…La nuit dernière, une quarantaine d’aéronefs ont sillonné le ciel français pour simuler un raid aérien nucléaire.Nom de code : Poker.
Pour être prêt, à tout second.Pour garantir la crédibilité de la #dissuasion. pic.twitter.com/7ZLGxiQ4p6
— Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (@Armee_de_lair) March 17, 2026
The initiative will nonetheless be subservient to and never take priority over NATO’s nuclear deterrence and nuclear sharing agreements, to which Germany contributes.
The weapons applications embody a evolving a standard European commonplace for interoperability amongst fighters and drones by modular, open structure and interfaces; monetary and shareholding measures “for the success and long-term growth” of pan-European protection firm KNDS; pushing for a proof-of-concept of the Primary Floor Fight System (MGCS); leveraging French house rocket firm’ Arianne Group’s capabilities in the principle rocket increase part of the two,500 km-range British-led Deep Precision Strike (DPS) program; and pushing strategic house collaboration and interoperability.
