Japan was in attendance at a large-scale air exercise by NATO members that kicked off Monday in Germany, as the alliance sought to highlight solidarity amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine — and reassert that its partnerships extend even to the Indo-Pacific region.
Labeled the “the largest deployment exercise in NATO’s history” involving allied air forces, the two-week Air Defender drills in European airspace involve around 10,000 personnel and 250 aircraft from 23 NATO members, as well as Sweden and Japan, including an Air Self-Defense Force transport plane.
An alliance spokesperson said the massive drills send “a clear message that NATO is ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”
“Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. “As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our countries and our people safe.”
Hosted and led by Germany, the exercise had been planned since 2018, but it was still intended to highlight NATO’s resolve after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, especially its ability to respond together.
NATO said in a statement that the exercises are aimed at boosting interoperability and preparedness to protect against aircraft, drones and missiles attacks on cities and critical infrastructure — precisely the type of attacks Russia has unleashed on Ukraine.
Japan and NATO have bolstered their partnership in recent years, with both emphasizing that the security situations in Europe and Asia are interlinked.
"The security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inseparable, and NATO has invited Japan as an observer because of the close relationship it maintains with Japan,” Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, chief of the German Air Force, which is coordinating the exercise, told NHK ahead of the drills.
NATO, initially conceived as a trans-Atlantic security organization against the Soviet-led communist bloc, has increasingly been looking to redefine its role amid growing Chinese assertiveness, a concern echoed by many of its members, while also aiming to back Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.
Reports have said NATO is considering opening an office in Tokyo, and alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg alluded earlier this month to a "request" for a liaison office by an unidentified country, adding that the alliance was “looking into the possibility of establishing the office."
NATO member France is reportedly unenthusiastic about the proposal, saying the move would take the alliance away from its prime region of focus.
But Stoltenberg has said that "what happens in Asia matters for Europe and what happens in Europe matters for Asia, and therefore it is even more important that NATO allies are strengthening our partnership with our Indo-Pacific partners."
His comments have echoed views in Tokyo, where government officials have repeatedly stressed concerns that “Ukraine today could be Asia tomorrow.”
Earlier this year, Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to further deepen the two sides’ partnership, with Japan transitioning into NATO’s new Individually Tailored Partnership Program, a move they said is expected to elevate bilateral cooperation “to new heights that reflect the challenges of a new era.”
That meeting came after Kishida became the first Japanese leader to attend a NATO summit in June last year.
Information from Kyodo added
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