| The skies over Germany are a hive of military activity. During the “Air Defender 23” maneuver, 10,000 soldiers from 25 NATO countries are training to show that the alliance can defend itself effectively.
Germany is the logistical hub for all operations and military sites in Germany’s north and southwest have to prove that they have the capacity to accommodate and supply 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel.
The preparations for this air exercise under German leadership were initiated by Germany and have been underway since 2018, long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Watch the DW video on what you need to know about NATO’s Air Defender 23 drill.
Spokespeople of the German military are bending over backward to stress that the maneuver is not directed against Russia and that everyone wants to avoid provocation.
But critics, especially from the extremes of Germany’s political spectrum, who are skeptical of NATO and the German government’s stance on Russia, say such a show of strength does not make them feel protected, but rather afraid of an escalation.
Environmentalists point out the climate hazard of having 250 military aircraft fly back and forth for two weeks: After all, one single Eurofighter emits more CO2 per flight hour than an average German does in a year.
Many critics see the exercise as a waste of money. “War is being practiced here. At the same time, the German government is making cuts in the budget. But not with that of the Bundeswehr. Cuts will just hit those who have too little anyway,” wrote Dietmar Bartsch, parliamentary group leader of the post-communist Left Party on Twitter.
Money is indeed an issue. After 15 months of war in Ukraine, Western militaries have learned that they may want to focus more on cyber operations and the use of drones than show off expensive hardware. |
