NATO PLANS HUGE MILITARY EXERCISE IN JUNE

NATO’s largest ever aircraft deployment exercise is set to take place in June this year involving more than 200 aircraft.

The German Ministry of Defence has released information on Exercise Air Defender 2023 stating that 210 aircraft will be involved, spanning 23 different types. One hundred of these will come from the US Air National Guard, which will deploy aircraft to Europe from 35 states.

The exercise is expected to bring together 18 nations who will collectively deploy up to 10,000 personnel. The countries participating in Air Defender 2023 are Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, UK and the US.

The focus of Air Defender is Germany, which the defense ministry press release states is exercising its role as a “collective defence hub” within Europe. Consequently, the majority of main air bases involved are in Germany: Schleswig-Jagel and Hohn in Schleswig-Holstein, Laage in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Wunstorf in Lower Saxony, Lechfeld in Bavaria and Spangdahlem in Rhineland-Palatinate. In the Netherlands, Volkel air base will be utilized as will Čáslav in the Czech Republic.

The main training airspace to be used for Air Defender 2023 will be over Schleswig/Hohn, Wunstorf and Lechfeld.

The German press release disclosed that the event is intended to serve as a “challenging training scenario” featuring air warfare operations for friendly and allied air forces.

“The aim will be to optimise and expand cooperation between nations and their armed forces. In addition, the capabilities and cohesion of NATO are to be accentuated,” the statement added.

Germany said the event is intended to “unite and bring together” the air forces of NATO and its allies in one exercise and Air Defender 2023 is “purely defensive” in nature.

The statement adds: “The ability to react and the combined strength in the air should be trained and demonstrated. At the same time, the transatlantic alliance is maintained with Air Defender 2023.”

Planning for the exercise started before the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The Chief of the German Air Force Lt Gen Ingo Gerhartz hosted Lt Gen Michael Loh, Director of the Air National Guard in October 2021 to discuss Air Defender 2023.