Germany: NATO has started the largest-ever air force deployment exercise in the Western military alliance’s history, a drill being presented as a display of unity among members and partners of the bloc as tensions with Russia have escalated following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to the German Air Force, the “Air Defender 23” exercises, led by the German Air Force, involve approximately 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO and partner countries, including Japan and NATO applicant Sweden.

Up to 10,000 service members are participating in the drills, which run until June 23 and are designed to boost the interoperability and preparedness of NATO “air forces in a crisis situation”, including protecting against drones and cruise missiles in the case of an attack within NATO territory.

“The significant message we’re sending is that we can defend ourselves,” Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the German Luftwaffe commented.

The “Air Defender 23” exercise was conceived in 2018 in part as a response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine four years earlier, though Gerhartz insisted the drill was “not targeted at anyone” in particular.

Mr. Gerhartz remarked that the exercise would not “send any flights, for example, in the direction of Kaliningrad”, the Russian enclave bordering NATO member states Poland and Lithuania.

“We are a defensive alliance, and that is how this exercise is planned,” Mr. Gerhartz added.

According to the German Air Force, of the 250 aircraft involved, 100 have been deployed to Europe from 42 US states.

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