Air Force Chief Gerhartz: No saber rattling
On Monday, Gerhartz tried to counteract the impression that it was saber-rattling in the direction of Russia: “We’re doing everything we can to ensure that it doesn’t escalate,” said the lieutenant general on RBB’s Inforadio. As an example, he added: “We will not make any flights towards Kaliningrad.” Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea, just over 500 kilometers as the crow flies from Berlin.
Defense Commissioner Högl: signal to Russia
Die Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, sees “Air Defender” as a message to Moscow. Russia’s attack on Ukraine shows how important the maneuver is, she said at the Wunstdorf air base, where she watched the start of the maneuver with Gerhartz: “Of course it’s a massive presence. It’s also important to send a clear signal to Russia broadcast, but it should also be balanced and differentiated.”
Aviation Industry: Disruptions will increase
In the evening, the general manager of the German Aviation Association (BDL), Matthias von Randow, summed up that there had been “comparatively little military flight operations” on the day of the large-scale exercise. “We assume that the disruptions to civil air traffic will increase over the next few days, especially with delays in the evening hours,” said von Randow.