Staff members work at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

NATO's annual nuclear exercise could escalate risks of a nuclear war, at least on the level of tactical nuclear weapons, in the battlefield of Russia-Ukraine conflict, said Chinese analysts, as the US-led military alliance launched its two-week drill starting on Monday.

NATO has started its annual nuclear exercise "Steadfast Noon" on Monday with more than 60 aircraft taking part in training flights over western Europe. Steadfast Noon runs for two weeks and involves fighter jets capable of carrying US nuclear warheads, but does not involve any live weapons, according to the NATO.

F-35A fighter jets and B-52 bombers are reportedly among some 60 aircraft from 13 nations taking part in the Steadfast Noon exercise, hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, NATO officials said. "The whole exercise will particularly focus on the United Kingdom, the North Sea, but also Belgium and the Netherlands," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in London following meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Reuters reported.

NATO's nuclear exercise is a routine and recurring training activity that happens every October. Steadfast Noon involves 2,000 military personnel from eight airbases and a variety of aircraft types, including nuclear-capable jets, bombers, fighter escorts, refueling aircraft and planes capable of reconnaissance and electronic warfare, according to the NATO website. 

The NATO drill comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between Russia and the West. On September 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack, media reported.

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Monday that the NATO nuclear drill has an eye on real combat, as military aircraft able to carry nuclear warheads are being included; warheads that can be carried by fighter jets are tactical, which means that NATO is also lowering the alliance's threshold over the use of nuclear weapons, and this is a dangerous signal. 

"Now there is a danger of direct conflict between Russia and NATO in the battlefields of Ukraine crisis, and now since both sides have lowered their thresholds to using nuclear weapons, once the conflict occurs, compared to the past, the conflict could escalate into nuclear war more easily. This is truly concerning for the international community," Song noted.