These exercises, which will begin on 19 July, are components of the two-month-long tri-national Pacific Skies deployment. This deployment will bring the German, French, and Spanish Air Forces together to cooperate with partners in the region, including the four Quad countries of India, Japan, Australia, and the United States.
While France and Japan will exercise around the Hyakuri airbase in Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan, Germany, and Spain will hold these at Chitose airbase in Hokkaido, which is the subject of a Russian protest. The Russians did not protest about exercises in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Russia protested and declared as “categorically unacceptable” that joint military exercises are to be held on Hokkaido; this is perceived as too close for comfort off the far eastern coast of Russia. They are also unhappy with the participation of NATO members distant from Europe. “We view such activity as a potential threat to the security of the Russian Federation,” a Russian ministry statement said.
The 75th anniversary NATO Summit, which will be held from 9 to 11 July, has specifically invited the four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4)—Japan, Australia, Korea, and New Zealand—to participate in and contribute to the declaration on the Indo-Pacific. This NATO expansion into the Indo-Pacific brings a greater focus on Russia from the Ukraine context than on China, which is the regional bugbear.
While France will send Rafael jets, Germany and Spain will send their Eurofighter Typhoons. Japan’s ASDF will use its F2s and F15s for these exercises. Transport and air-to-air refueling aircraft are a big part of these exercises. They will be seen in action over four continents and participate in the Arctic Defender in Alaska, the Pitch Black in Darwin, and the Tarun Shakti in Jodhpur.
Later in July, from 22 to 25, the ASDF and the Luftwaffe will also hold the initial Nippon Skies exercise. Germany will use some of its planes for the trilateral exercise, while the rest will be in Australia along with the French and Spanish contingents for the Pitch-Black multinational exercise.
