The German Air Force has initiated a significant long-range deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, supported by the Multinational MRTT Unit.
According to a recent press release, this deployment aims to demonstrate Germany’s force projection capability and commitment to regional stability, mutual trust, and partnership.
The deployment, dubbed “Pacific Skies 24,” includes four A400Ms, eight Eurofighters, 12 Tornados, four A330 MRTT aircraft, and four light utility helicopters. These aircraft will engage in various training activities with Allied and Partner air forces and navies, including low-level flying, defensive and offensive counter-air operations, and air-to-air refuelling.
Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of Staff of the German Air Force, emphasised the significance of this deployment, stating, “With Pacific Skies 24, we are showing our face in a part of the world that is of great importance to us. We will deploy to the Indo-Pacific region, while at the same time the German Air Force is conducting NATO Air Policing at home and in the Baltic region, demonstrating our commitment to rules-based international order and stability.”
According to the press release, deploying over more than 13,000 kilometres to participate in five exercises with partners is an enormous logistical achievement.
The first leg of this extensive training exercise began in mid-June with German Tornado fighter aircraft taking off from Germany to Alaska for low-level flying training. This segment, from 17 to 29 June, marks the final international appearance of the Tornado fleet before its decommissioning.
Subsequent phases will see German jets participating in various multinational exercises:
- Arctic Defender in Alaska, where German jets will operate alongside A330 and A400M air-to-air refuelling aircraft and several Allies, focusing on air warfare operations to NATO standards.
- Nippon Skies in Japan, where German Eurofighters will conduct combined training flights with the Japan Air Self-Defence Force, marking the first time German fighter jets will train in Japanese airspace.
- Rimpac in Hawaii, where German jets will support naval warfare drills alongside the German Navy.
- Pitch Black in Australia from 22 July to 1 August, followed by Tarang Shakti Phase 1 in India, where they will fly in exercises led by the Indian Air Force.
General Gerhartz highlighted the logistical achievements of deploying over 13,000 kilometres and participating in five exercises with international partners, noting that Germany leads the first exercise, Arctic Defender, and gains valuable experience and best practices from the others.
This deployment follows the Rapid Pacific deployment two years ago and underscores Germany’s ongoing commitment to international security cooperation and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.
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32 aircraft including 20 jets. May be a one off bit of grandstanding but wow! When did the RAF ever deploy anything like that to the Indo-Pacific?
When did they last deploy anything like this anywhere? They can’t even muster it to support allies for a war on our own doorstep!
Beats our recent efforts where we’re lucky if we can send a 4 ship to represent the RAF.
4 Typhoons and a tanker to Malaysia every 3 or 4 years seems to the norm for us.
Interesting, it wasn’t long ago that it was reported that the German Airforce barely had half a dozen flight ready air raft to put in the air.
On the bright side sending 30-40 aircraft next year alongside a carrier strike group. Including (in theory) 24 F-35s.
Also this year Italy is sending a carrier battle group to the pacific…not just that the European nato contribution to pacific skies includes: Spain sending 4 typhoons, 2 A400s, the French sending 4 rafales and 4 A400s and between Germany, France and Spain 7 A330s…next year ( after the Italian CBG) there will be a UK CBG in the pacific.
the Uk, France and Italy now spend a lot of time with ships in the pacific.
There is a lot of European combat power flowing into the pacific to deter china …let’s hope Trump does not destroy that joint working by stitching Europe over Putin.
Spoken like a true believer forever war WEF puppet.
What are you talking about ?
Forever War: a space opera book by Joe Haldeman where a thousand-year war turns out to be caused by a misunderstanding. WEF: World Economic Forum: international organisation blamed by conspiracy theorists (along with Bilderberg) for running the world behind the scenes in the interests of money. Puppet: anyone who isn’t constantly engaged in sticking it to the shadowy masters.
Together, that’s you, Jonathan. You. And me. And the rest of the forum (Greg excepted).
yes I’ve read the book, it’s one of my favourites ..I was struggling to understand what it would mean to be a believer in a piece of fiction that was essentially about conflict and geopolitics and surviving culture shifts across the relativistic distances and times as well as vested interests in war..as there is no relativistic effects in place visiting the pacific and no one in their right mind in the west is trying to provoke a war with china…I’m not sure what the hell Greg was on about….
As for the WEF and some form of illuminati .just fruit cake..tin foil hat…
I doubt any western grouping (NATO or otherwise) wants a war with China. China, I am sure, doesn’t want a war with the West. However China wants Taiwan & the Korean War is just on hold. Have a look at just about any electronic device in your home. Chances are it’s made in People’s Republic of China (China), Republic of China (Taiwan), South Korea or Japan. If it’s not, I suspect if you open it up, you will find many of the individual bits come from there. Major war in east Asia has the potential to make the current wars in Ukraine & the Middle East look like a kindergarten punch up. If India becomes involved, things can get really messy.
Right now, we are talking millions of people. If Asia takes off, it will be billions. Asia also doesn’t have anything approaching NATO. Right now though there is a major re-arming in East Asia, South East Asia & the stuck in the middle powers of Australia & New Zealand. While most of NATO can close their eyes, UK, US, Canada, & France don’t have that option.
Impressive. They’ve been a while coming to the party but Germany appears to have arrived…..
TBH, I had no idea that Germany still uses Tornados. What was so wrong with the RAF Tornados, and why did the UK get rid or it’s own MRCA’s?
Ours were very heavily used compared to German ones I suspect. Germany also needs to keep theirs flying to deliver the Nato shared nuclear bombs until they get the F35A to fulfill that mission. They also use the ECR Sead model which the RAF never adopted, another role that can’t be filled yet until Typhoon? Takes over the mission
I’m not sure that our Tornados were particularly heavily used. They had a good few years life left in them, but were nonetheless suddenly axed by HMG in 2017.
The difference between us and Germany (and Italy) comes down to financial economy versus maintaining force levels.
Germany and Italy have kept their Tornado forces operational until they could replace them with next generation aircraft, which is happening now, with a lot of F35As arriving.
Their Tornados might have been getting long in the tooth, but they could still do an interdiction job outside of A2AD zones. Equally important, their squadrons, aircrew and ground crew were kept intact, ready to.transition to the F-35, so they retained their squadron strength.
We did it the other way of course. We scrapped the aircraft and one of the squadrons, and transitioned strike attack aircrew to air defence aircraft, not a particularly bright or successful.idea.
It was basically a big cost-cutting exercise, instead of 8 combat air squadrons, we ended up cutting to 5. Part of the accountants’ plan was to use some of the ex-Tornado air and ground crew to man the first of the F-35Bs. Due to the glacially slow rate of F-35B procurement, not that many were needed and a good number could be made redundant. Hurrah said the beancounters.
Net result: UK combat air strength had fallen to 4th or 5th in NATO Europe, far behind France and Germany, behind Italy and, when our tranche 1 Typhoons are withdrawn this year, even behind lowly Spain.
I think the German and Italian model for Tornado was the better one, but heck, we saved a lot of wages and costs. Just have to hope we are not called on to go into any serious air combat in the next decade or three.
Same stuff with Harriers, Italians Navy still operates them. RN did away with the Invincible class and there was a big hiatus.
Or more truthfully, budget cut’s by MoD…..same with the Harrier Force, and Jaguar Force. All buggered off early but still flying in other air-forces.
Impressive, but the Germans are really stretching themselves with such a deployment.
Does anyone find the current RAF recruitment advert showing the RAF (somehow) averting a satellite collision utterly embarrassing….
For the albeit small size of the RAF the number of planes it has and can actually deploy anywhere is both pathetic a and a massive cause of concern.
Maybe we should start building Tempests again….the ones from 1944…
I have some family friends in the Army and the number of times I’ve been told about Mess dining-in nights and trips abroad beggars belief. Even in the Reserves, as I was until recently, the officers had many Mess functions, and the number of events that officers turned up to, even when there was no need for them to do so, was absurd (medical unit so very officer-heavy) The cost must have been eye-watering for zero return.
This is where the money goes it seems. Suspect the RAF little better.
No surprise there: when Germany puts effort into the military, they are formidable in every theatre, as we know to our cost. They very nearly destroyed us in the 1st half of the 20th century, and outperformed us in peacetime. Underestimate Germany at your peril.
That’s a huge commitment and sends out a powerful message. Power projection indeed.