The Air Force started exercises in Australia for the first time on Monday. Six Eurofighters from Tactical Air Force Squadron 74 took off from Neuburg an der Donau and began the flight of around 22,000 kilometers, according to a spokesman.
A400M transport aircraft and three A330 tanker aircraft, which took off from Cologne about half an hour before the combat aircraft, are also involved in the laying operation.
In Australia, the Air Force participates in Exercise Pitch Black, which trains air operations, and in the naval exercise Kakadu. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Air force visits to Japan and South Korea are also planned.
The exercise is also about showing that Germany could help worldwide if it were necessary. Lieutenant Colonel Swen Jacob confirmed this to the “Bild” newspaper: “This is the first time that we have moved over such a large distance. Like any combat aircraft, our Eurofighter must be able to deploy quickly and over long distances,” he explains. The transfer is the Luftwaffe’s largest operation of this type since its inception (1956).
The transfer exercise takes place in the shadow of tensions around Taiwan, but without a direct connection. Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz also emphasized this to the newspaper. He flies one of the planes himself: “We don’t send any threatening signals. Our transfer is not a signal against anyone,” he explains.
Against the background of the more dominant superpower China, the German government has recently also turned its security policy attention to the Indo-Pacific region. In NATO’s new strategic concept, China is identified as a challenge.
“We stand by all those who stand for our values such as democracy, freedom and security and are also willing to get involved,” said Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD). She spoke of support for “value allies”. Lambrecht: “At the moment, of course, the focus is clearly on the east flank. This is due to Russia’s terrible, brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. But we also have to look at other regions.”
