The largest military air exercises in Europe since the end of the Cold War began in Germany on Monday, as fighter jets, bombers and cargo planes took to the air in a pointed demonstration to Russia of how NATO would respond if attacked.
The war games have been long in the works, but took on added urgency after the invasion of Ukraine, which alarmed NATO members that lie in the shadow of Russia and jolted the military alliance into reinventing itself after years of torpor.
“Air power is the first response in a crisis,” Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, chief of the German Air Force, said in an interview at the close of Monday’s exercises — the first of 12 days unfolding at six bases across the country.
They include its newest member, Finland, and Sweden, which is seeking admission.
Japan attended as an observer.
Persons:
Ingo Gerhartz
Organizations:
NATO, German Air Force, Japan
Locations:
Europe, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Finland, Sweden