1 of 4 Six military airports in Germany will provide logistical support for the Air Defender 23 — Photo: Philipp Hiemer/Bundeswehr Six military airports in Germany will provide logistical support for the Air Defender 23 — Photo: Philipp Hiemer/Bundeswehr
After four years of preparations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is starting the largest air exercise in the history of the military alliance this Monday (June 12): 250 aircraft 100 of them from the USA , 10,000 people in action, which will last until the 23rd, and Germany as a logistic center, soldiers and 25 countries participate.
The Air Defender 23’s action simulates a response to an attack on one of the Alliance’s member countries. Due to the training, there are temporary blockades for civil aviation in three zones of German airspace: on the north coast and in the east and southwest of the country. This is likely to be one of the main challenges of the exercise as these areas are among the most heavily used routes by civil aviation in the world and their impact on the sector is still uncertain.
2 of 4 Air Defender 23 — Photo: DW Air Defender 23 — Photo: DW
“We are showing that NATO territory is our red line, that we are ready to defend every inch of this territory,” said German Air Force Inspector and highest pilot in the military hierarchy, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, at a press event in Berlin Wednesday (June 7th). However, Gerhartz emphasized that the action was a demonstration of a “defensive” attitude towards Russia.
Commercial flights must be maintained despite any delays
The lieutenant colonel said he hoped commercial flights would not be canceled but did not rule out delays in landings and takeoffs.
On the business side, the same expectation was reiterated by the European airline association “Airlines for Europe”: the company not only did not expect cancellations, but also minimized the impact of possible delays, but did not rule out greater inconvenience for passengers.
3 of 4 Air Defender 23 — Photo: DW Air Defender 23 — Photo: DW
Air traffic expert Clemens Bollinger points out that, in contrast to other European countries, civil and military air traffic controllers in Germany have been working together for 30 years, precisely because traffic in German airspace is so intensive.
According to him, it is common in France for the military to close entire areas to civil aviation, but this is not the case in Germany. However, he emphasizes that the experience and expertise of the technicians alone are not enough to ensure punctuality especially at a time when air traffic in the European space is returning to similar levels as before the pandemic. “There are many factors that can cause delays, such as thunderstorms, other weather events or traffic jams.” [do espaço aéreo]”, He specifies.
The air traffic routine maintenance exercise is a signal for Russia
With the decision to carry out the military exercise parallel to regular civil air traffic, NATO is sending a political signal to Russia, says Toben Arnold from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). “Obviously, it’s a clear signal in the sense that you’re demonstrating readiness and willingness to defend alliance territory, even in crowded airspace.”
4 of 4 Chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021: Air Defender 23 will simulate a similar situation — Photo: Spanish Defense Ministry/AP/picture alliance Chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021: Air Defender 23 will simulate a similar situation — Photo: Spanish Defense Ministry /AP /picture Alliance
Gerhartz of the German Air Force explains that the exercises will also include simulations on land, such as airport evacuation a scenario apparently inserted after the chaos scenes at Kabul Airport with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. after the United States and allied countries ceased operations in the country.
Other scenarios simulating support for ground forces, dogfights and the neutralization of mediumrange missiles for this last mission, the American military sends the F35 stealth bomber, NATO’s most modern fighter aircraft. According to Arnold, defense against submarines and ships is also trained in the North Sea.
A NATO air exercise takes place during the Ukrainian counteroffensive
Although many associate the exercise with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gerhartz of the German Air Force made no mention of the Russians when presenting the Air Defender 23 to the press in Berlin. However, the US Ambassador to Germany, Amy Gutmann, acted differently, quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin by name: “Preparation and prevention have never been more important than today.”
The NATO exercise could have undesirable side effects: it exposes Russia’s military intelligence agency, which is torn between studying the training and dealing with an increasingly fierce Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south and east of the country.