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Agence France-Presse

Nato on Friday concluded its largest ever air force deployment exercise in Europe in a show of force against potential threats such as Russia.
The German-led “Air Defender 23” manoeuvres brought together some 250 military aircraft from 25 Nato and partner countries including Japan and Sweden, which is bidding to join the alliance.
Up to 10,000 service members took part in the drills intended to boost interoperability and preparedness to protect against drones and cruise missiles in the case of an attack within Nato territory.
“We wanted to show that these 25 different nations could operate together from day one and we managed it,” the head of the German air force Ingo Gerhartz said on broadcaster NTV.
Eyeing Russia, Nato stages largest-ever air drill in Europe
The exercise was a “complete success” on a tactical and organisational level, Gerhartz said from the Jagel airbase in northern Germany.
Of the 2,000 flights planned, around 1,800 had been executed, Gerhartz said, a “record” completion rate for this kind of exercise.
“Air Defender” was conceived in 2018 in part as a response to the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine four years before, though Gerhartz previously insisted it was “not targeted at anyone”.
By contrast, US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann said the exercise would show “beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force” and was intended to send a message to countries including Russia.

“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, and that includes Mr Putin,” Gutmann told reporters.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has galvanised the Western military alliance set up almost 75 years ago to face off against the Soviet Union.
Finland and Sweden, which long kept an official stance of neutrality to avoid conflict with Moscow, both sought membership in Nato after Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Finland joined in April but Sweden’s bid has been held up mainly due to Turkish objections.


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Nato

Nato completes biggest ever European air drill in show of force against threats

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet takes off to mark the conclusion of the air force manoeuvre “Air Defender 2023” at Jagel Air Base in Germany. Photo: dpa

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his visit to the international air force manoeuvre. Photo: dpa

Drones, missiles in Ukraine war expose gaps in Europe’s air defences after decades of complacency

An explosion of a drone is seen during a Russian strike in Kyiv. Photo: Reuters

Ukrainians salvage belongings at the site hit by falling debris from a Russian rocket in Stari Petrivtsi village near Kyiv on June 16. Photo: EPA-EFE

A Ukrainian soldier carries a drone close to the front line near Avdiivka, Donetsk region. Photo: AP

Can Nato manage its ambitions in Southeast Asia, where memories of colonialism linger?

Nato is opening a liaison office in Japan and is partners with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. Photo: AFP

US President Joe Biden (middle) meets South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) during the Nato summit in Madrid on June 29, 2022. Photo: AP

Nato cannot be separated from the history of European colonialism and imperialism that shaped modern Asia. Photo: Reuters

Biden may vet Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen as 1st female Nato chief during US trip

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: EPA-EFE

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: AFP

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: AP

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US President Joe Biden will attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

From left: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo for a Quad leaders’ summit last year. Photo: AP

A fighter jet takes off during combat readiness patrol and military exercises around Taiwan carried out by the Chinese military in April. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Nato mulls future security guarantees for Ukraine but wary of igniting wider war

Ukraine has applied to join Nato but for that to happen, all 31 current members would have to agree. Most of the allies oppose letting the country in at a time when a war is raging. Photo: TNS

“There are consultations that are going on” ahead of a summit involving US President Joe Biden and his counterparts in Lithuania on July 11-12, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Photo: EPA-EFE

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The German-led manoeuvres brought together some 250 military aircraft from 25 Nato and partner countries including Japan and Sweden
Up to 10,000 service members took part in the drills intended to boost preparedness to protect against drones and cruise missiles


Up to 10,000 service members took part and the manoeuvres brought together some 250 military aircraft from 25 Nato and partner countries including Japan and Sweden.
