"Air Defender 23": 250 military aircraft, including fighter jets (symbolic photo), practice over Germany in the event © of an imago crisis
"Air Defender 23" is a maneuver of superlatives. As part of the NATO exercise, 25 countries are training to deploy large air forces. Why in Germany at all?
Munich – The large-scale NATO exercise "Air Defender 23" will take place from June 12 to 23 in German airspace. The Bundeswehr announced the key data for the military operation in advance. More than 250 military aircraft, including several fighter jets, are in service. Air combat, air refueling and interception of aircraft are to be practiced during the maneuver in June – mainly over Germany. There seems to be a simple explanation for this.
NATO's Air Defender: Why is training over Germany, of all places?
"The exercise was initiated by Germany in 2018," the Bundeswehr said. In the following years, Air Defender was planned out and took place under German leadership. According to the Bundeswehr, Germany is assuming the role of a "defense hub within Europe." This means that Germany is planning and leading this NATO exercise and providing the airspace.
| Air Defender 23: NATO exercise in Germany | scheduled from 12 to 23 June 2023 |
| Nations | 24 countries are taking part in the largest deployment exercise of air forces since NATO was founded. |
| Staff | 10,000 soldiers |
| Fighter jets and aircraft | 220 aircraft, 23 different types of aircraft |
"The scenario is modeled on an Article 5 assistance scenario," the Bundeswehr announced on its website. Thus, the joint response to an armed attack against one or more allies is assumed. The aim of the Air Defender exercise is therefore "to optimize and expand the cooperation of the participating nations and at the same time show strength in the alliance" - and this in the middle of the Ukraine war and in the middle of China's expanding threats towards Taiwan.
"Air Defender 23": 250 military aircraft, including fighter jets (symbolic photo), practice over Germany in the event © of an imago crisis
NATO exercise over Germany – "train as you fight" principle
According to the Bundeswehr, Air Defender is the largest transfer of air forces from the USA to Europe since NATO was founded. "Air Defener 23" strategically connects the USA and Germany.
It is training for emergencies. It not only serves the further development of NATO air combat procedures, but also has a deterrent effect. "It shows potential adversaries NATO's determination to defend its air supremacy and protect its member states," the Bundeswehr said.
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In order to be prepared for a real crisis, pilots and crews should practice according to the principle of "train as you fight" according to the principle of "train as you fight" German where they will be deployed in an emergency.
Air Defender 23: NATO exercise takes place in three airspaces
The NATO exercise maneuvers will take place in June from June 12 to 23. Three airspaces are planned for the training flights, which are used alternately on weekdays, i.e. with a time delay. There will be no training flights on the weekend of 17 and 18 June.
| Air Defender 23: NATO manoeuvres from 12 to 23 June | Flight times of air operations except on weekends |
|---|---|
| Airspace North (over the North Sea) | between 16 p.m. and 20 p.m. |
| Airspace East (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to Baltic Sea) | between 10 p.m. and 14 p.m. |
| Airspace South (Lechfeld in Bavaria to Rhineland-Palatinate) | between 13 p.m. and 17 p.m. |
"Air Defender 23": Will the NATO exercise cause flight chaos? Airspace over Germany temporarily closed
During the NATO exercise, German airspace will be temporarily closed. This could cause chaos and delays in the sky. Airports and airlines are preparing. "The military exercise 'Air Defender' will of course have a massive impact on the course of civil aviation," says the head of the pilots' union GdF, Matthias Maas, as reported by the dpa news agency.
In view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the industry recognizes the necessity of the maneuver, assures a spokesman for the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry. At the same time, airlines want to know what they and passengers have to prepare for in the travel-intensive early summer weeks. For example, Lufthansa is examining the concrete effects on flight operations, which are to be kept as stable and reliable as possible. Passengers who have booked a flight during this time should be prepared for delays. (ml with material from dpa)