Next week, May 13 to 17, F-16s will regularly fly over Limburg. They are taking part in an international exercise led by America from the German NATO air base in Geilenkirchen, just across the border from Schinveld.
The exercise, called Astral Knight 2024, is part of the US European Command’s air and missile defense program, in which participating countries will focus on improving movement, maneuverability and integration between US forces, NATO allies and other partners.
More flights than usual will therefore be carried out at the NATO air base Geilenkirchen next week, with the focus on May 14 and 15. Six NATO countries are participating in Astral Knight 2024: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Great Britain and the United States, and there will also be observers from Denmark and Greece. The exercises take place between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Regular operational flights take place from the air base. Last month, early flights – before 8 a.m. – were planned during an exercise. In principle, that will not happen this time, although precautions are being taken. “NATO military activities are carefully prepared, but certain weather or operational conditions may cause flights to proceed differently than currently announced,” a NATO statement said.
