The largest air force maneuver in the history of NATO is currently taking place over Germany. During a visit to the Jagel air base, Chancellor Scholz said he saw “Air Defender” as a “sign of unity”.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz took the “Air Defender” maneuver as a sign of the unity and defense readiness of NATO and its allies. The exercise by a total of 25 nations should help ensure that “everyone takes the statement seriously that we are ready to defend every inch of our territory,” said Scholz during a visit to the Jagel air base in Schleswig-Holstein.
The exercise is “very important” and “a sign that we are well prepared,” stressed the Chancellor, with a view to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Before that, he had been informed about the exercise by the Inspector of the Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz. Scholz inspected fighter jets from NATO partners Hungary, Turkey, Finland and the USA before sitting in the cockpit of a German Eurofighter to have the fighter jet explained to him.
25 countries (green; USA and Japan not shown) are taking part in the NATO air force exercise “Air Defender 23”. The maneuver mainly takes place in three airspaces (shaded). There are also flights to NATO’s eastern border.
10,000 soldiers take part in the maneuver
Talks with servicewomen and men were planned after the weapons show. The Federal Chancellor emphasized the practical as well as the symbolic benefits of the exercise. It’s about “learning where we have room for improvement”, for example in terms of cooperation or in technical terms. He praised the willingness of the nations participating in the maneuver to “cooperate closely”.
Scholz was also pleased that the exercise had only a minor impact on civil air traffic. The twelve-day major maneuver in the airspace over Germany started on Monday. It is the largest deployment exercise since NATO was founded. Around 10,000 soldiers from 25 countries with 250 aircraft are taking part in “Air Defender” under German leadership.
Scenario is an attack from the east
During the exercise, German Tornados, F-16s and A-10s from the USA and jets from Turkey and Hungary, among others, are stationed in Jagel. A total of around 2000 flights are planned. The fictional scenario of an attack from the east is practiced. According to the federal government, the aim of the exercise is “visible proof of the ability of air forces to react and deploy quickly”.
According to the Bundeswehr, the focus is on optimizing and expanding cooperation. During the maneuver, the participating aircraft will mainly take off from airfields in Schleswig-Holstein, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony as well as in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
The left speaks of a “military threat”
The left foreign politician Sevim Dagdelen criticized Scholz for his appearance in Jagel. It would be better for the chancellor “to strive for a ceasefire and peace instead of taking part in the ‘Air Defender’ war exercise at the Jagel air base,” explained Dagdelen. The left-wing politician spoke of a “military threat” from NATO.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had already drawn a “very, very positive” initial conclusion from the exercise on Thursday. So far there have been “no incidents” and “virtually no delays or disruptions to civil air traffic,” said Pistorius on the sidelines of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.