Jun 7, 2023, 6:58 PM

NATO to hold largest ever European air drills over Germany

NATO to hold largest ever European air drills over Germany

TEHRAN, Jun 07 (MNA) – Germany is set to host NATO's largest air force deployment over Europe in the alliance's history, officials said on Wednesday, according to German local media.

The Air Defender 23 exercise is scheduled to start on Monday. It will involve 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 countries, DW reported.

The drills are designed to simulate a response to an attack on a NATO member country.

The US will send 100 aircraft and 2,000 personnel to take part in the exercise.

"We are showing that NATO territory is our red line, that we are prepared to defend every centimeter of this territory," German Air Force Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz said.

But the senior German commander insisted that the exercise was designed to show a "defensive" posture toward Russia.

"But we won't, for example, conduct any flights toward Kaliningrad. So this is intended to be defensive," he said.

US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann said that the drills will constitute an "impressive" show of force toward other countries in the world.

The officials also said that the drill will cause minor civilian flight disruption.

MNA

News ID 201696

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