NATO Prepares to Defend Member Countries Against Attacks

The NATO Air Forces are currently engaged in the largest training exercise in the bloc's history, focusing on defending Alliance members from eastern attacks. This week, the focus of activities has shifted to the East, specifically the skies of Poland and Lithuania. Officials make no secret of their objective: to demonstrate NATO's readiness for real defense against potential threats, notably from Russia.

Participants in the NATO Air Forces and AirDefender-23 partner training exercise will intensify their combat aviation activities in Eastern Europe this week. From June 20th to 22nd, six A-10 attack aircraft (pictured) will be deployed to Lithuania. Earlier this week, four F-16 aircraft, along with two F-15s, Eurofighters, and one refueling aircraft, were flying over Poland. Why this specific configuration? According to news.de, NATO's partners on the Eastern flank requested such a show of reassurance and military cohesion.

Previously, NATO had announced that these unprecedented, large-scale military air exercises had been planned and prepared since at least 2021. This event is the largest of its kind since the founding of NATO. Currently, twenty-five countries are participating in the two-week-long training exercise, involving approximately 10,000 personnel and 250 aircraft. Germany, primarily hosting the aircraft involved in AirDefender-23 on its airfields, takes the lead in organizing the exercises. Sweden, aspiring to join the alliance, and Japan are also taking part. The exercises began on June 12th and are expected to conclude on June 23rd.

However, the events of the past year have significantly influenced the purpose and scenario of the exercises. Russia has been terrorizing Ukraine for 15 months now. In February 2022, Vladimir Putin's forces invaded the country, resulting in bombings of cities and numerous casualties. The Kremlin's ruler has repeatedly threatened attacks on the West if it does not stay out of the conflict. Therefore, it is likely not a coincidence that NATO is currently conducting its largest military maneuvers in Europe's history. This serves as a strong signal.

"Air Defender sends a clear message that NATO is ready to defend every inch of Alliance territory," said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu, adding, "Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world. As we face the most significant security crisis in generations, we stand united to protect our countries and our people." She also stated that the exercises "demonstrate Germany's commitment and capabilities" and expressed gratitude to Germany for hosting these record-breaking exercises. With 250 aircraft, including nearly 100 from the United States, Air Defender also highlights the strong bond between Europe and North America in their collaboration within NATO.

Educational missions mainly take place over the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and southern Germany. The training aims to enhance operational compatibility and readiness to defend against attacks from aircraft, drones, and missiles on cities and critical infrastructure. Well-informed sources admit that the training scenarios carefully incorporate lessons learned from real aviation and missile attacks on Ukrainian targets.

According to SkyNews, the training legend in the airspace above Germany involves a scenario where the Western defense alliance repels an attack from the east on one of its members. The scenario also includes the recapture of territories already occupied by the enemy.

Prior to the start of the training, Amy Gutmann, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, stated, "I would be very surprised if any world leader did not pay attention to what this signifies about the spirit of this alliance, what it signifies about the strength of this alliance. And that includes Mr. Putin."

Lieutenant General Michael Loch, Director of the Air National Guard of the United States, participating in the exercises, stated that the training goes beyond restraint. "It's about establishing what it means to stand up against a major power," he said.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz views the maneuvers as a sign of unity and defense readiness within NATO and its allies. The training should contribute to the message that "we are ready to defend every centimeter of our territory," Scholz said during a visit to the Jagel Air Base in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, where Bundeswehr fighters and those of other countries are based during the exercises.

Demonstrating cooperation within NATO through such training is a "great message," said Scholz, referring to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. "The readiness for close cooperation is very high here." By the way, Scholz's visit to the Jagel Air Base marked his first personal acquaintance with the German Air Force since his election as Chancellor.

This week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit the exercises already together with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who is predicted to extend his term in office for another year.

At the end of the first week of the exercises, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gave them a positive interim assessment. The politician, representing the Social Democratic Party in the German government, stated that during the largest NATO exercises in history, there were no incidents and virtually no disruptions to civilian air traffic. "The initial conclusion is very, very positive."

Despite some complaints from civilian aviation users, the Air Defender-23 training had minimal impact on traffic around Frankfurt and Berlin-Brandenburg airports. Although several dozen flights were delayed or canceled in the first few days of the exercises out of the thousands planned, airport officials and air traffic services reported that military aircraft primarily utilize designated "windows" during which arrivals and departures of civilian aircraft are not scheduled according to the regular timetable.