Berlin: On Monday, NATO will launch the biggest air force deployment exercise in Europe in the alliance's history as a sign of solidarity with allies and potential adversaries like Russia.

Approximately 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO and partner nations, including Japan and Sweden, which is applying to join the alliance, will participate in the German-led "Air Defender 23" from now through June 23.

The exercises are meant to improve interoperability and readiness to defend against drones and cruise missiles in the event of an attack on cities, airports, or sea ports within NATO territory. Up to 10,000 people will take part.

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Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz of the German Luftwaffe, who presented the plans last week, stated that "Air Defender" was developed in 2018 in part as a reaction to the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine four years earlier, though he insisted that it was "not targeted at anyone."

Although the exercise would not "send any flights, for example, in the direction of Kaliningrad," the Russian outpost that borders the alliance members Poland and Lithuania, he asserted that NATO would defend "every centimetre" of its territory.

"We are a defensive alliance, and that is how this exercise is planned," he declared.
The drill, according to US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann, will demonstrate "beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force" and is meant to send a message to nations like Russia.

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She said to reporters, referring to the Russian president, "I would be pretty surprised if any world leader was not taking note of what this shows in terms of the spirit of this alliance, which means the strength of this alliance."

"By synchronising with one another, we increase our power." The Western military alliance formed almost 75 years ago to compete against the Soviet Union has been energised by Russia's war on Ukraine.

After Russia's invasion in February 2022, Finland and Sweden, which had long maintained an official façade of neutrality to avoid conflict with Moscow, both applied to join NATO. An attack on one member of NATO is regarded as an attack on all members under Article 5.

Operational and tactical training for the exercise will take place primarily in Germany, but also in the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Latvia. On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay a visit to pilots stationed at the northern German airfield of Schleswig-Jagel.

An "inflection point" has been reached, according to General Michael Loh, director of the US Air National Guard, regarding NATO's responsibilities. The strategic environment has undergone significant change all over the world, but particularly in Europe, he said.

The mission of the exercise will be to provide training "on a larger scale than what was typically accomplished on the continent" and "supplement the permanent United States presence in Europe," according to Loh.

Many of the alliance pilots, according to him, would be collaborating for the first time. In addition to strengthening existing bonds with the younger generation of airmen, he said, "it's about forging new ones."

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Therefore, the purpose of this is to define what it means to compete against a great power. While "Air Defender" was not intended to be a recurring exercise, Gutmann said: "We have no desire for this to be the last."

When asked about the possibility of a disruption to civilian air travel during the exercise, Gerhartz responded that the organisers would use "everything in our power" to keep flight delays and cancellations to a minimum. Authorities in Germany had issued a warning that the drills might have an effect on flight schedules.