BERLIN \u2014 Germany is preparing to host the biggest air deployment exercise in NATO\u2019s history, a show of force intended to impress allies and potential adversaries such as Russia, German and American officials said Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Air Defender 23 exercise starting next week will see 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations respond to a simulated attack on a NATO member country. The United States alone is sending 2,000 U.S. Air National Guard personnel and about 100 aircraft to take part in the June 12-23 training maneuvers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is an exercise that would be absolutely impressive to anybody who\u2019s watching, and we don\u2019t make anybody watch it,\u201d U.S. Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force in NATO as a first responder,\u201d she told reporters in Berlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d Gutmann said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd that includes Mr. Putin,\u201d she added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the drill was planned for several years, Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ear has jolted NATO into preparing in earnest for the possibility of an attack on its territory. Sweden, which is hoping to join the alliance, and Japan are also taking part in the exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are showing that NATO territory is our red line, that we are prepared to defend every centimeter of this territory,\u201d said Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz of the German air force, which is coordinating the exercise. \u201cBut we won\u2019t, for example, conduct any flights toward Kalinigrad. So this is intended to be defensive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kalinigrad is a Russian exclave located on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, director of the U.S. Air National Guard, said the exercise goes beyond deterrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the readiness of our force. It\u2019s about coordination, not just within NATO, but with our other allies and partners outside of NATO,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loh said the exercise would be an opportunity for younger U.S. airmen, many of whom have mainly gotten experience serving in the Middle East, to build relationships with allies in Europe and prepare for a different military scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo this is about now establishing what it means to go against a great power, in a great power competition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have said the drill will cause some disruption to civilian flights in Europe during the period.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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