It will be the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Second World War. In June, German airspace in particular will be temporarily closed for this purpose. What travelers need to consider during the "Air Defender 23". © IMAGO/U.S. Army
Air Defender 2023: In a few days, dozens of military aircraft and helicopters will fly over Germany. The inspector of the Air Force emphasizes the relevance.
Munich – 30 Eurofighters, 16 Tornadoes, five A400Ms and three A330 AAR for refuelling, as well as two LJ35s, two A-4s and four light support helicopters (LUH) 145 will fly alternately over Germany from 12 to 23 June 2023. And these are probably just the planes of the German Air Force. Of the total of around 250 aircraft involved in NATO's so-called Air Defender 2023, about 100 come from the USA.
Less than two weeks before the start of the largest air exercise since NATO was founded, the inspector of the Air Force has now emphasized its importance for security. And asked for understanding for possible restrictions in civil air traffic. "This is what credible deterrence looks like to me," Ingo Gerhartz told Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper at the end of May.
Air Defender 2023 no provocation against Russia
The exercise, called Air Defender, under German leadership, is intended to show that the alliance "can act quickly in an emergency," said the lieutenant general. "They will be operational across Europe within hours. This strengthens our transatlantic bond in the event of a crisis."
"Only sporadically" air movements would take place near the border with Russia, but only "defensive scenarios" would be tested, Gerhartz continued. "It would certainly be a provocation if we were to simulate how we fly missions in the direction of Kaliningrad, for example. But we don't," he assured. Instead, the exercise is limited "to the protection of NATO territory."
Air Defender 2023: Three airspaces affected, including Bavaria
Around 90 percent of air traffic is expected to take place in Germany and the adjacent coastal areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. But Bavaria and other federal states are also affected. In addition to the locations in Germany, Vokel (Netherlands) and Čáslav (Czech Republic) are also planned. By the way, no fighter jets are to take off on the weekend of June 17 and 18.
Which regions are affected by the NATO exercise in Germany?
Airspace North: (Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg): Flights take off from the military bases of Wunstorf in Lower Saxony and Jagel/Hohn in Schleswig-Holstein along the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts.
Airspace East (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony): The manoeuvres over eastern Germany take off from the Laage base and extend from the Baltic Sea to Saxony.
Airspace South (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland): The southern corridor stretches from the Bavarian site of Lechfeld, south of Augsburg, to Spangdahlem in Rhineland-Palatinate.
NATO jets over Germany for days: "The goal is that we can continue to fly on vacation in peace"
Gerhartz emphasized that the Air Force is "in close coordination with German air traffic control, the Ministry of Transport and Eurocontrol in order to keep the impact as low as possible."
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Air travelers have to expect delays in the middle of the holiday season because numerous planes have to be diverted. "The aim of the exercise is to ensure that people can continue to fly on holiday in peace and freedom," he said. (AFP, MKE)