Air Defender 2023 special markings

Coming June, NATO will hold one of the largest aerial exercises in its history. Air Defender 2023 will be held from 12 to 24 June 2023. The exercise, coordinated by the German Armed Forces, involves up to 10,000 personnel from 24 different countries and 220 aircraft.

For this occasion the Luftwaffe (GAF, German Air Force) has painted one of their Airbus A400M transport aircraft with a large US flag covering almost the rear fuselage and a large part of the vertical stabilizer. Also a large Air Defender patch is painted on the forward fuselage and the underside of the rear ramp.

The A400M, serial 54+21 and operated by Lufttransportgeschwader 62 at Wunstorf air base, was photographed by Dalibor Ankovic during take-off at Köln-Bonn on 3 April 2023. It departed to Andrews Air Force Base via Halifax (Canada) with call sign "German Air Force 007".

For the Air Defender 2023 participating units and locations keep a close look at the Scramble Magazine SIS Summary page and the Scramble Magazine message board where you can find a specific thread for the exercise.

Photo by Dalibor Ankovic (DA Photography)