Large-scale NATO manoeuvres over Germany: Air traffic disrupted due to fighter jets

2023-05-22T16:41:22.089Z

Highlights: "Air Defence 23" is the next major NATO maneuver during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Between 12 and 23 June, German airspace will be dominated by the transatlantic defence alliance. The largest deployment exercise of air forces since the founding of the defense alliance was planned by the German Bundeswehr. Only the United States relates more than 100 aircraft from the USA to Europe in "Air Defender 23" It was a similar exercise during the Cold War, but now they are moving more than100 aircraft across the Atlantic.

Germany is facing the largest deployment exercise of air forces since the founding of NATO. Merkur.de has the information about "Air Defence 23".

Munich/Lechfeld/Wunstorf - "Air Defence 23." It is the next major NATO maneuver during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Between 12 and 23 June, German airspace will be dominated by the transatlantic defence alliance, with three flight corridors for over 230 military aircraft - including several fighter jets.

NATO's Air Defender 23: Huge air force exercise over Germany is imminent

This means that civil airspace will be partially closed during this time, which will probably lead to flight cancellations and delays at passenger airports. The largest deployment exercise of air forces since the founding of the defense alliance was planned by the German Bundeswehr. It is responsible for coordinating the 25 armed forces involved.

Where the airspace is closed and when. What scenarios are practiced. And which fighter jets are in service. Merkur.de provides an overview.

Air Defender 23: NATO is practicing emergencies in three scenarios in German airspace. © Screenshot Bundeswehr

NATO's Air Defender 23: Simulated missions to the Baltic States and Romania

Simulated missions: During "Air Defender 23", missions of Jagel/Hohn in Schleswig-Holstein, Wunstorf in Lower Saxony, Lechfeld in Bavaria, Spangdahlem in Rhineland-Palatinate, Volkel in the Netherlands and Čáslav in the Czech Republic are flown. The German military airfield Nörvenich near Düren, the Belgian military airfield Kleine Brogel (province of Limburg), the Dutch Vliegbase Eindhoven and the Polish military airfields Krzesiny and Powidz are also involved.

According to the Bundeswehr, missions are simulated daily from Lechfeld near Augsburg to Romania on the Black Sea. A connection with the Ukraine war and the threat situation in the region from Russia is likely to be. This also applies to the second mission area. Because: From Hohn near Kiel, there is a flight to the Baltic States to Estonia.

Strikingly, the Romania scenario is apparently supported by Austria, which is not a member of NATO, but opens its airspace for overflight.

Apparently also part of "Air Defender 23": the Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern. © IMAGO/Daniel Kubirski

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NATO's Air Defender 23: Flight corridors over Rhineland-Palatinate and Berlin

Flight corridors of "Air Defender 23" in Germany: The Lechfeld flight corridor extends over northwestern Bavaria, northern Baden-Württemberg, large parts of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern is probably significantly involved, because the headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe is located in the training area described.

The Bundeswehr announced: "The jet fight training flights take place in the airspace from an altitude of 3,000 meters. Low-altitude flights of jets are only planned in the airspace over the Baltic Sea." The Baltic Sea is part of the maneuver area in eastern Germany, with a flight corridor over Thuringia, Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. The northwestern maneuver area extends over Schleswig-Holstein and northern Lower Saxony with the city-states of Hamburg and Bremen.

NATO's Air Defender 23: US sends more than 100 aircraft to Germany

Participating NATO nations: In alphabetical order, the following NATO members are included: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom. Only the United States Air National Guard relocates more than 100 aircraft from the USA to Europe.

"We also practiced extensively during the Cold War, but the Americans had many more aircraft stationed in Germany. Now they are moving more than 100 planes across the Atlantic, which has never happened before," said German Air Force chief Ingo Gerhartz, who recentlycriticized the equipment of the Bundeswehr in an interview with the Handelsblatt. It was a "multinational exercise initiated, planned and led by Germany," he described: "As our partners often demand of us, we are now taking matters into our own hands, leading and showing responsibility."

Now they are laying more than 100 machines across the Atlantic, something that has never happened before.

Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of the German Air Force (Source: Handelsblatt)F-16 fighters of the United States Air National Guard, which are used by "Air Defender 23". (Symbolic photo) © IMAGO/U.S. National Guard

NATO's Air Defender 23: F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets over Germany

Aircraft and fighter jets at "Air Defender 23": According to the Stuttgarter Zeitung (SZ), the Americans have F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets with them. The same applies to the Fairchhild A-10 twin-engine ground attack aircraft and the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft. The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus are used for air refueling.

The Bundeswehr provides Airbus A400M transport and tanker aircraft as well as Eurofighter and Tornado fighter jets. According to the Bundeswehr, the Tactical Air Force Squadron 74 in Neuburg an der Donau near Ingolstadt (Bavaria) and the Tactical Air Force Squadron 71 in Laage (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) with their Eurofighters have an unspecified role. This is where the Air Force's alarm troops are stationed. According to the SZ, 23 German Tornadoes are also planned for "Air Defender 16". From the Vliegbasis Eindhoven, the Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU) apparently flies with Airbus A330 MRTT refueling missions.

Kleine Brogel, on the other hand, is the home of the 10th Tactical Squadron of the Belgian Air Force, which relies on the American F-16 Fighting Falcon. From Volkel, the Dutch Air Force also takes off with F-16 fighter jets and F-35 stealth fighters. The Polish military airfields are equipped with F-16 fighters, as well as Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft. On the Czech base in Čáslav, on the other hand, Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets are stationed.

NATO's Air Defender 23: Civil air traffic blocked in many places in Germany

Closure of civil air traffic during "Air Defender 23": The Eastern Flight Corridor will be closed to civil aviation between 10 a.m. and 14 p.m., the Southern Flight Corridor between 13 p.m. and 17 p.m. and the northern training area between 16 p.m. and 20 p.m. There will be no maneuvers on June 17 and 18. For example, the city airport BER near Berlin and Munich Airport are affected.

"It is possible that one or the other holiday plane will have to make a small detour," Lieutenant General Gerhartz told Handelsblatt: "But our security should be worth it to us if we show that we are prepared to defend our values such as freedom and democracy together." (pm)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-05-22