The largest air exercise in NATO history has begun in Germany.
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Air Defender 23 is attended by 25 member states and partner countries (Japan and Sweden), with about 250 aircraft involved. The exercises will be held at four locations in Germany, as well as one each in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
The goal is to test the ability of the Air Force to respond to crises in Europe against the backdrop of increased aggravation in relations with Russia, according to Bloomberg.
The United States sent about a hundred warplanes across the Atlantic.
The exercises are designed to show the unity of the alliance in the face of potential threats, in particular from Russia. They will last until June 23.
Training tasks will be practiced in three flight zones: over northern Germany and the North Sea, in the east and, to a lesser extent, in the south of the country.
The exercises involved US and Dutch F-35 fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin, as well as AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, air refueling aircraft and transport aircraft carriers from Japan.
The first such exercise was held in 2018.
The events, which will be trained by NATO fighters and pilots, are aimed at preparing to defend against drones and cruise missiles in the event of an attack on cities.
In June 2022, NATO recognized Russia as the main threat. And in May of this year, Reuters reported that at the Alliance’s summit in Vilnius, the bloc’s leaders could agree on a secret document detailing the response to Russia’s threats.
Source: Racurs
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