Air Defender 2023

[Herby]

First infos say Greece will send four 347.Mira F-16C from Nea Anchialos to Lechfeld as Jagel and Hohn will already host 30 or more fighters each.

There will also be events like a Fly-In-Party and a second party with up to 3.000 people each.

Several USAF VIP aircrafts are awaited during the exercise weeks, some arriving directly from the USA.

[Herby]

Some further information:

The lead unit for the ten different (not five as earlier stated) C-130’s operating from Wunstorf will be 182nd AW, Illinois ANG. It’s Airlift Squadron is 169st AS. As it is operating the C-130H3 it will be obviously a mixed fleet of Hercules marks.

Most if not all C-17 support flights will go through Prestwick/Scotland.

[Herby]

The 6 KC-135 obviously will operating from Ramstein and Geilenkirchen.

[Sjoerd]

Thanks for the continious updates Herby!

[Herby]

USS Gerald R. Ford, CVN-78, with CVW-8 on board left the USA for the Atlantic and later European Seas. It will presumably also come to the Baltic Sea.

Six (not four) Super Hornet should take part in Air Defender 2023 (plus two Growler) and so the F/A-18F should come from VFA-31, 37, 87 or 213 (or even mixed) and the EA-18G from VAQ-142.

[Herby]

Unfortunately the JASDF C-2 will obviously not operate from Germany at all as it will also take part
at the Aero Salon 23 at Le Bourget and will fly from there.

[Herby]

Announced for Jagel are 14 F-16C, so South Dakota ANG’s 175st FS as lead unit will presumably be backed up by another. Unfortunately 120st FS of Colorado ANG is still not confirmed.

The amount of A-10C at Jagel could change from six in the first week to twelve in the second. The adding number will come from Lechfeld.

Wisconsin ANG (128st ARW) will be one unit (the lead one?) taking part with the KC-135R.

[Piet Luijken]

Official AIP info at:
https://www.dfs.de/homepage/de/medien/i ... df?cid=ice

[fotrox]

Thank you for your interest in the Air Defender 23 exercise. In June the German Air Force hosts "Air Defender 2023" - the largest deployment exercise by US Air Forces since NATO founding.

A total of 20 nations will train together in three different airspaces throughout Germany. Almost 10,000 soldiers with round about 220 aircraft will be involved. Air Defender 2023 does not only demonstrate "NATO Air Power", it also proves our unique transatlantic unity. Together with our partners, we stand up for our common values.

The Public Affairs Centers of the German Air Force HQ is responsible for all media work. Unfortunately it is currently not possible to organize neither a spotter-day nor a media-day during Air Defender 2023. This has to do with aspects of military security.

[SquAdmin]

What a terrible excuse...

[GoldenPlane]

The ‘TBD B-1B’ seems to be a go at the moment. There is a Kalitta Air B747 due at Fairford next week, out of Dyess.

Jordy

[Fishbed_9307]

The amount of A-10C at Jagel could change from twelve in the first week to six in the second. The adding number will come from Lechfeld.

Herby, do you mean that six Jagel A-10’s will transfer to Lechfeld? I am confused what “the adding number will come from Lechfeld” means?

[Oscar01]

I think the B-1s will be gone by then, but that's off topic...

On topic question.... Is anything known about arrival (dates)?

Cheers,
Oz

[milflyer]

Maybe not related to AD2023 but published on a US.Army link:

https://www.keymilitary.com/article/neb ... oy-germany

John

[Herby]

Corrected (sorry for doing it wrong at first):

Six A-10 should be transferred from Lechfeld to Jagel after the first week of the exercise, so Jagel can have 12 and Lechfeld 6.