NATO launches largest air exercise in history
NATO begins the largest military exercise in history on Monday, coordinated by Germany. | The Air Defender 23 exercise will last until June 23 and will involve about 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO member and partner countries, including Japan and Sweden, a candidate country for the alliance, AFP reported. ● Up to 10,000 people will take part in the exercise, designed to strengthen interoperability and defense against drones and cruise missiles in the event of an attack on cities, airports or ports located on NATO territory, the report said. The exercise was developed in 2018 and is "not aimed specifically at anyone," said German Air Force Commander Army Gen. Ingo Gerharz. The air maneuvers will include operational and tactical training mainly in Germany, but also in the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit pilots based at Schleswig-Jagel airfield in the north on Friday. ● NATO missions are at a "tipping point," according to General Michael Lo, director of the U.S. Air National Guard. "The exercise will be designed to complement the United States' continued presence in Europe and provide training on a larger scale than is normal on the continent," Lo said, adding that many of the alliance's pilots will be working together for the first time. (Translation with: DeepL.com)