Vredepeel in the Netherlands will host NATO allies for a 10-day air defence exercise starting today (March 17). The Dutch Ministry of Defence says it will be the largest air defense exercise in Europe and includes the participation of Finland and Sweden as new NATO member states.
During the biennial Joint Project Optic Windmill (JPOW) exercise, the allies will face a number of virtual and practical scenarios, with a “prominent role” reserved for defeating drones. The main goal of JPOW is the integration of air defence technology and systems, creating a “system of systems” to form protective domes over certain areas.
The systems must be able to be linked in terms of software and classification as well as hardware and all air defences must use the same language and procedures.
The JPOW exercise follows an exercise on March 4 when two Dutch F-35 fighter jets shot down several training drones over the Baltic Sea with the use of AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The training exercise took place in controlled airspace and was initiated by the Netherlands and Estonia.
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