For the first time, France and the United Kingdom carried out a joint airborne simulated nuclear-strike exercise, with Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons escorting French Rafale jets. According to the French Armed Forces Ministry, the exercise called Rummy took place on October 20 and 21 over the Mediterranean, also involved A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, and was an important step in implementing the Northwood Declaration. Analyst Etienne Marcuz called the involvement of at least three British Eurofighters “quite significant” and said it marks a major change for France's Strategic Air Forces, which have operated autonomously since the 1960s. The move comes as France develops a “forward deterrence” concept with European allies amid uncertainty over US security guarantees for Europe. Minister Catherine Vautrin said independent nuclear forces do not preclude coordination, and the exercise did not involve any actual nuclear weapons.
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XAU/USD
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Gold |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/23/2026 | 3,995.78 |
| Change that session | -0.72% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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