Germany is preparing to conduct NATO’s largest air deployment exercise in history, a show of force meant to impress friends and prospective rivals like Russia, German and American officials said Wednesday.
10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations will take part in the Air Defender 23 exercise, which will begin the next week, as they respond to a fictitious attack on a NATO member nation.
The training exercises will take place from June 12 to 23 only in the United States, which is sending 2,000 U.S. Air National Guard soldiers and around 100 aircraft.
While the drill was planned for several years, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ear has jolted NATO into preparing in earnest for the possibility of an attack on its territory. Sweden, which is hoping to join the alliance, and Japan are also taking part in the exercise.
“We are showing that NATO territory is our red line, that we are prepared to defend every centimeter of this territory,” said Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz of the German air force, which is coordinating the drill. “However, we will not, for example, fly to Kalinigrad.” As a result, this is meant to be protective.”
Kalinigrad is a Russian exclave located on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania.
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, director of the U.S. Air National Guard, said the exercise goes beyond deterrence.
Loh said the exercise would be an opportunity for younger U.S. airmen, many of whom have mainly gotten experience serving in the Middle East, to build relationships with allies in Europe and prepare for a different military scenario.
Authorities have said the drill will cause some disruption to civilian flights in Europe during the period.
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