More than 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel began a two-week military exercise on Monday involving Nato nations and Japan, in what host nation Germany bills as the largest deployment of aircraft in the alliance’s history.
Planning for the training began in 2018. But it comes as fighting escalates on Nato’s doorstep in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces, backed by arms from Western allies, are mounting an offensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia since the invasion ordered last year by President Putin. Officials involved in the Nato exercise said it sends a message about the alliance’s solidarity. “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,” Amy Gutmann, the US ambassador to Germany, told reporters last week. “That includes Mr. Putin.”
The exercise, known as Air Defender, is led by the German government and brings together the largest number of aircraft from outside Germany for a training mission since Nato was founded in 1949 and since the end of the Cold War. Twenty-four Nato nations, including Finland, the newest member, are participating in the drills, and Japan has joined as an observer. The US flew about 100 National Guard and Navy aircraft to Germany for the drills.
The 12-day event began with an air show in Wunstorf, that features cargo and refuelling planes – workhorse aircraft that have been crucial to getting weapons and supplies to Ukraine. The drills comes a few weeks after the US agreed to allow Ukraine to train on, and eventually obtain, American-made F-16 fighter jets.
Planning for the training began in 2018. But it comes as fighting escalates on Nato’s doorstep in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces, backed by arms from Western allies, are mounting an offensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia since the invasion ordered last year by President Putin. Officials involved in the Nato exercise said it sends a message about the alliance’s solidarity. “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,” Amy Gutmann, the US ambassador to Germany, told reporters last week. “That includes Mr. Putin.”
The exercise, known as Air Defender, is led by the German government and brings together the largest number of aircraft from outside Germany for a training mission since Nato was founded in 1949 and since the end of the Cold War. Twenty-four Nato nations, including Finland, the newest member, are participating in the drills, and Japan has joined as an observer. The US flew about 100 National Guard and Navy aircraft to Germany for the drills.
The 12-day event began with an air show in Wunstorf, that features cargo and refuelling planes – workhorse aircraft that have been crucial to getting weapons and supplies to Ukraine. The drills comes a few weeks after the US agreed to allow Ukraine to train on, and eventually obtain, American-made F-16 fighter jets.