Lechfeld Air Base in the Augsburg district will be part of a large-scale NATO maneuver this year. The multinational exercise will take place in Germany from June 12 to 23 under the name “Air Defender 2023”, said a spokesman for the Air Force. “This is the largest air force deployment exercise since NATO was founded.” Nationwide, three locations are to be part of the exercise. Wunstorf Air Base near Hanover plays a central role. The Hohn airfield involved is also in northern Germany. The base of the air force in southern Germany will then be Lechfeld near Graben south of Augsburg. Some neighboring European countries are also taking part in the exercise with their units from their home airports.
With “Air Defender” the Air Force wants to practice extensive air warfare operations with allied nations and NATO partners. In particular, it is about the relocation, reception and deployment of US air forces at airfields in Europe. “A total of around 100 aircraft, mainly from the US Air National Guard, will be relocated from the USA to Germany for this exercise,” said the spokesman. Six US aircraft and around 100 American soldiers are to be temporarily stationed in Bavaria. In order to reduce the burden on the population, the machines should not start at night and on weekends during this period. According to the Air Force, the maneuver is a “purely defensive exercise that has been planned and prepared since 2021”. The dimension was not expanded after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.