biggest air force drill by NATO begins strong message to Russia Europe-America preparing for war against Russia

Berlin: NATO has begun the largest air force drill ever in the history of the Western military alliance. Information about this has been given by the German Air Force. This drill has started from Monday. The exercise is being carried out as a show of unity among the members and partners of the organization. NATO’s tensions with Russia have increased since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In such a situation, this practice is also being termed as a challenge for him. This exercise has been named Air Defender 23.

what is the purpose of this exercise
It has been told by the Germany Air Force that apart from Japan, which is a partner of NATO, Sweden, which has applied for membership, is also a part of this exercise. About 250 military aircraft from 25 member and partner countries are part of it. More than 10,000 soldiers are involved in this exercise which runs till 23 June. In this exercise, soldiers will demonstrate the ability to respond to attacks inside the borders of the NATO country with drones and cruise missiles. Also, its purpose is to enhance the capabilities of the Air Force and strengthen preparedness in the event of a crisis.

Was to start in the year 2018
Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the German Army said, “Through this exercise, we are sending an important message and we want to tell that no matter what happens, we can defend our border.” The ‘Air Defender 23’ exercise was to begin in the year 2018. At that time it was believed that this would be a response to Russia for its action under which it has annexed Crimea to its borders. It has been told by the German Air Force that out of 250 aircraft involved, 100 are stationed in Europe while 42 are stationed in different parts of America. Gerhartz stressed that the drill was not being targeted.

Finland becomes new member
He said that in this drill, no fighter jet will be sent towards Russian territory bordering NATO member countries Poland and Lithuania. He told that NATO is a defensive alliance and this exercise is being carried out keeping this in mind. NATO was established about 75 years ago to counter the threats of the Soviet Union. Finland and Sweden sought NATO membership after the Ukraine war. Finland has become the 31st member of this military alliance, while Sweden’s membership is stuck due to opposition from Turkey and Hungary.