Starting from October 13, Italy will become the platform for NATO's annual Steadfast Noon exercises, which are officially called nuclear in the alliance, for ten days. This was reported by ANSA, referring to the statements of representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance. The Italian Defense Forces emphasized that no real weapons will be used during Steadfast Noon, the actions are aimed exclusively at checking the procedures, coordination and security standards between the allied forces. The military noted that the exercises were planned in advance and were not related to current international crises. However, NATO clarified the wording of the Italian side. Nassima Burrows, head of the alliance's nuclear policy department, confirmed at a press conference that Steadfast Noon is essentially a nuclear exercise, even if no actual warheads are used. "I want to emphasize that we have worked closely with Italy on communication issues, and I think we have full understanding that Steadfast Noon is a nuclear exercise," Burrows said. The situation surrounding the exercises has caused a political reaction in Italy. Angelo Bonelli, deputy of the opposition "Alliance of Greens and Left" party, announced his intention to send an inquiry to the Minister of Defense, Guido Crozeto. The reason is that the parliament was not informed about large-scale military exercises. Bonelli demanded to clarify what role drones will play, what systems will be involved, where the shootings will take place and with what ammunition, particularly at the Salto di Quira military training ground. He also inquired whether the regions and communities over which the planes will fly have been informed, and what measures guarantee the safety of civil air traffic.