NATO nuclear exercise, parliamentary question

Chamber Act

Written Question 4-09293

presented by the Hon. Angelo Bonelli

BONELLI. — To the President of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Health. — To know – given that:

• Exercise Steadfast Noon is organized annually by NATO and involves aircraft capable of carrying B61 ​​nuclear bombs. This year, the exercise is taking place over Italian skies, launching mock atomic bombs to train crews in realistic conditions;
• despite the severity of the simulated scenarios, the exercise is carried out without any information being given to Parliament;
• a nuclear conflict, even a limited one, would have catastrophic consequences for the population and the ecosystem;
• in 1989, the German government decided to withdraw from the NATO nuclear exercise due to the unacceptable amount of civilian casualties expected;
• NATO, like Russia, maintains a doctrine of “first use” of nuclear weapons;
• While the Steadfast Noon exercise simulates nuclear bomb launches, no parallel exercises have been planned for the public management of related civil, health and environmental emergencies –:

whether the Government intends to provide adequate information on the Steadfast Noon 2026 exercise, its objectives, the simulated operational scenarios and all associated risks;

whether the Government has detailed scenarios on the consequences of a nuclear war – such as the one simulated this year – with particular reference to:

a) number of deaths and injuries expected in the event of a nuclear war;

b) geographical areas affected taking into account that the Ghedi and Aviano bases host the B61-12 atomic bombs;

c) short, medium and long-term health impacts, including risks of contamination of groundwater, agricultural land and the food chain;

d) relief measures for the population and preventive public information;

whether the Government does not deem it appropriate and necessary, in light of the above and the worrying precedent set by Germany in 1989, to suspend Italy's participation in Steadfast Noon.

(4-09293)