The “Tiger Meet” air defense maneuver began in northern German airspace on Monday, with the participation of aircraft and personnel from 11 NATO members, as well as non-NATO countries Switzerland and Austria.
“The first aircraft have been in the air since 9am (0700 GMT),” a spokesperson for the Jagel air base in the state of Schleswig-Holstein told dpa. Around 60 fighter jets and helicopters from other countries, with around 1,100 additional troops, are joining the German air force in the maneuver.
Storms in the south of the country on Friday affected original flight plans, the spokesperson said. “But they all arrived,” he added. The first exercises were carried out in the morning, with new take-offs scheduled for the afternoon.
No night flights are planned for the next few days and flight movements will be limited on weekends. Germany’s 51 “Immelmann” Tactical Air Wing is carrying out the exercise for the third time, following previous exercises in 2004 and 2014.
Amateur enthusiasts filmed the flights on Monday, with up to 1,500 people expected to take part in two “observation days” on Friday and June 10. Aircraft are traditionally equipped with special paint or film for the exercise.
The exercises are scheduled to take place until June 14th.
The squadron in Jagel is also expected to celebrate its 30th anniversary as part of the NATO maneuver.
The exercise aims to intensify cooperation with partner nations and share aeronautical and technical knowledge, according to the German Armed Forces, or Bundeswehr.
Each day, the host nation presents a fictional scenario that becomes increasingly complex as the exercise progresses, the Bundeswehr said.
The meeting is one of the largest exercises for joint air warfare operations in Europe and provides particularly valuable experience for participating aircrews, the army added.
