Biggest NATO exercise ever starts in Germany; Some Dutch airspace affected

The largest NATO air force exercise in history starts in Germany today. For the next two weeks, pilots from the allied countries will train with fighter jets in European airspace. In the Netherlands, the jets will be noticeable above the North Sea, north of the Wadden Sea, and a small part of the Wadden Sea itself.

Volkel Airbase in the Netherlands will also be used for take-offs and landings. “We will perform different scenarios every day,” Andre Bongers of Volkel Airbase told RTL Nieuws. “We practice all kinds of things: one day, an airstrike. The next day we attack a ground target, or we disrupt radars.” The goal is to make sure all parties are comfortable in defense and attack, Bongers said.

The exercise, led by Germany and called Air Defender 23, involves 250 aircraft and 10,000 military personnel from 25 different countries. It is the largest NATO air force exercise in history. "We want to demonstrate the agility and swiftness of Air Forces as a first responder and showcase NATO Air Power," said Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief German Air Force."

“A unique exercise,” Peter Wijninga, a security expert affiliated with The Hague Center for Strategic Studies, said to the broadcaster. An important goal is to test the command structure, he said.

“Command is a huge coordination job that requires extreme precision.” Many different jets with different characteristics have to work together, Wijninga explained. “Think of something as simple as speed: that can differ for each aircraft type. It is important to take each others’ limitations and possibilities into account.”