(Berlin) NATO begins Monday its most important exercise of air maneuvers, coordinated by Germany and intended to show the unity of its members in the face of potential threats, in particular from Russia.
The “Air Defender 23” exercise will run until June 23 and will bring together some 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO member and partner countries, including NATO candidate countries Japan and Sweden. .
Up to 10,000 people will take part in these exercises designed to strengthen interoperability and protection against drones and cruise missiles in the event of an attack on cities, airports or ports located on NATO territory.
The drill was designed in 2018, partly in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, though it’s not specifically targeting “anyone”, said Army Chief General Ingo Gerhartz. the German Air Force, during the presentation of the exercise.
Message to Putin
NATO is determined to defend “every centimeter” of its territory but “no flights will be sent, for example, to Kaliningrad”, the Russian enclave which borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania, he assured.
“We are a defensive alliance and that is how this exercise is planned,” insisted the general.
But these maneuvers will also aim to send a message, in particular to Russia, explained to the press the ambassador of the United States in Germany, Amy Gutmann.
“I would be very surprised if a world leader did not take note of what this shows in terms of the spirit of this alliance, what the strength of this alliance means, and that includes Mr. (Vladimir) Putin,” the president Russian, she argued.
“By synchronizing ourselves, we multiply our strength”, notes Mme Gutman.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has galvanized the Western military alliance created nearly 75 years ago to confront the Soviet Union.
Finland and Sweden, which have long maintained official neutrality to avoid any conflict with Moscow, have both asked to join NATO after the Russian invasion of February 24, 2022.
The exercise will include operational and tactical training, mainly in Germany, but also in Czechia, Estonia and Latvia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit pilots based at Schleswig-Jagel airfield in northern Germany on Friday.
For General Michael Loh, Director of the US Air National Guard, NATO missions are at an “inflection point”. “A lot has changed in the global strategic landscape, especially here in Europe,” he points out.
The exercise will aim to “supplement the permanent presence of the United States in Europe” and to provide training “on a larger scale than what is usually accomplished on the continent”, adds the officer.
Potential disruptions
The general clarified that many Alliance pilots would be working together for the first time. “It’s about nurturing the old relationships we have, but also building new relationships,” he sums up.
“It’s about establishing what it means to face a great power in the context of a competition between great powers”, adds this military official.
There are no plans at this stage to make “Air Defender” a regular exercise, Ms.me Gutman. But, she added, “we don’t want this exercise to be the last.”
Asked about potential disruptions to civilian air travel during the exercise, General Gerhartz insisted that planners would do “everything in their power” to limit flight delays or cancellations, as school holidays start in parts of Germany.
Created at the start of the Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has become the main common military defense organization, with 31 member countries in Europe and North America.