Tomorrow, Monday, June 12th, the largest NATO exercise “Air Defender 23” will start, in which 250 military aircraft from 25 countries will be deployed in German airspace. The aim is to prepare for a conflict in Europe. Or to put it better: During the “Air Defender 23” exercise, 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations will react to a simulated attack on a NATO member country. The United States alone is sending 2,000 US Air National Guard troops and about 100 aircraft to participate in the June 12-23 training maneuvers.
What will happen in the next few days?
The United States, Germany and Turkey will also take part in the defensive military exercise, which will take place from June 12-23. “The armed forces of 25 nations are ready to start this military exercise on Monday,” said the head of the German Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, at a press conference. Areas of application, tactics, logistics – everything should be as realistic as possible, in German airspace. Some experts and observers summarize the NATO exercise as a simulation of World War III.
The exercise is based on a NATO Article 5 Support Scenario. According to Article 5, the NATO countries “agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against all”.
Amy Gutmann, US Ambassador to Germany, said Air Defender 23 had been planned for years, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increased the urgency. “This is an absolutely stunning exercise for anyone that will no doubt demonstrate the agility and speed of our allied forces. I would be quite surprised if any leader did not take note of what this demonstrates in terms of the spirit of this alliance. “The strength of this alliance. And that includes Mr. Putin,” concludes Amy Gutmann.
The German military has warned that the major air force exercise could impact civilian flights operated by civilian airlines, which could result in restrictions or delays in Germany. However, processes and procedures are being optimized in order to minimize the impact on civil air traffic.
The map of the NATO Air Defender 2023 exercise
The three main hubs of exercise Air Defender 23 are Schleswig/Hohn, Wunstorf and Lechfeld. The exercises are mainly carried out in these three airspaces over Germany. The areas have been used by the German Air Force for routine exercises for decades. However, for the Air Defender 23, they were greatly expanded and partially connected by air corridors.
The following countries are participating: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States.