Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope of RAF involvement is in Exercise RUMMY alongside the strategic air forces of the airborne nuclear component of the French Armeé de l’Air in October 2026.

Under the Northwood Declaration, the UK and France are strengthening their coordination and deepening their collaboration across nuclear policy, operations and capabilities. We welcome the progress we are making on implementation, and this activity is a practical demonstration of the Northwood Declaration in action, underpinning political commitment with tangible Defence cooperation between the UK and France.

Conducted under robust safety and security arrangements, the Exercise RUMMY focused on improving how our forces work together. The RAF Typhoon aircraft were tasked in the conventional Offensive Counter Air role, to escort and protect French Air Force strike aircraft from simulated adversaries. This demonstrated that British and French forces are ready and able to operate together to protect shared interests and contribute to collective security.