Under the name Air Defender 23, the largest air exercises ever conducted by NATO will begin on Monday, June 12, led by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). With the participation of up to 10,000 troops from 25 countries and 250 aircraft, these large-scale drills will be carried out in European airspace until June 23, with the aim of demonstrating “transatlantic solidarity”. According to a statement issued by the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), these exercises were planned in advance in 2018.
In addition to NATO member countries, the presence of Finland and Sweden also stands out. While Finland has already joined the Atlantic Alliance last April, Sweden is still waiting for approval of its application due to Turkey’s objection, which urges Stockholm to meet certain conditions.
Among the combat aircraft that will participate in these exercises, several F-35 multirole fighters from the US and Dutch Air Forces stand out, as well as US B-1 Lancer strategic bombers. The air fleet of the Atlantic Alliance will also be represented by other fighters such as F-15, F-16, F-18, JAS 39 Gripen, A-10 attack aircraft, transport aircraft such as C-130 Hercules, C-17 or Airbus A400M, KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper heavy drones, among other equipment.
Most of the drills will take place in three designated air zones in Germany, with altitudes ranging from 2,500 to 15,000 meters, and even higher. However, two air bases in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands will also be used for these exercises.
The German authorities have assured that every effort will be made to minimize the impact of the drills on the population and not affect civilian air traffic. “No flight cancellations are expected, at most some delays,” they said.
U.S. Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann stated that while these trainings have a “defensive” nature, they also send a message to countries like Russia. “I would be very surprised if any world leader was not paying attention to what this means in terms of the spirit of this alliance, including Mr. [Vladimir] Putin,” she said. He also expressed hope that such large-scale military exercises will not be the last.