/ world today news/ While Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of the F-16, NATO is conducting the “Air Defender 23” air force exercise, the largest in history. About what military-political tasks the Alliance solves – in the material.
Alert for Russia
The maneuvers cover almost half of Europe – the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Baltic countries. It’s been five years in the making.
The purpose is combat coordination and verification of the readiness of the Air Force for a possible conflict. With whom – they do not specify, but anyway everything is clear.
“These exercises would impress anyone,” said US Ambassador to Germany Amy Guttmann. “I would be very surprised if any of the world leaders did not notice the strength of our spirit. Including Mr. Putin,” she added.
Alexander Kamkin, an employee of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, points to the unprecedented scale of the exercises.
“This is due to the general course towards militarization of European countries, he notes. And this is actually an anti-Russian démarche related to the conflict in Ukraine”, he believes.
This has never happened before
Ten thousand military personnel from 25 countries, including Japan, which is not part of NATO, participated in the maneuvers. About 250 aircraft are taking part, including 190 combat aircraft, including the latest F-35s.
Germany is particularly active: 6,000 soldiers and officers, all German military airfields. Local media called this operation the biggest challenge for the Air Force in decades.
According to the legend of the exercises, NATO applies the infamous fifth article for joint defense against an aggressor. Reflecting the strike by the fictional OKASUS forces who occupied the non-existent “Klebius” region of East Germany – about a quarter of the country.
The Air Force operates in 26 locations. Up to 200 flights and three combined air operations are carried out every day. Different types of aircraft rise in the sky: reconnaissance planes, bombers, tankers. From 23 to 80 aircraft simultaneously.
Pilots are trained in medium-range missile interception, air defense, radio electronic warfare for surface-to-air missile defense.
It should be noted that the aviation exercises coincided with the annual land exercises – “Defender 23”. According to “Deutsche Welle”, the pilots practice the support of motorized infantry formations on the ground.
They have also taken into account the lessons of Afghanistan – they plan to evacuate from airports. Probably the results of such an operation in Kabul were not highly appreciated.
Dangerous context
Another “coincidence” is that the regime in Kiev is right now trying to launch a counter-offensive. And there is more and more talk about the supply of Western fighters for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Ukrainian pilots are already training on the F-16.
And a day before the maneuvers began, on June 11, his predecessor Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that some members of the bloc could independently send troops to Ukraine.
This scenario is possible if the Alliance refuses to provide security guarantees to Kiev at the meeting in Vilnius. Poland and the Baltic countries are ready to be initiators, the former general secretary specified.
“The West does not consider the option of a direct conflict with Russia. This is not part of NATO’s plans,” says Alexander Gusev, doctor of political science. “They are preparing for the meeting in Vilnius, all these issues are being worked out. But if they bring in soldiers, the conflict will become too deep. They understand that,” he added.
Anyway, strategic bombers – the American B-1 “Lancer” (in English – “spear carrier”) also participate in the exercises. The alliance is not ruling out any scenarios. Until a nuclear collision with Russia.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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