Berlin, Jun 13 (IANS): The NATO has started Air Defender 2023, its largest ever air force deployment exercise.

The German-led drill brings together 25 NATO nations with Germany's leadership. The maneouver had been in the planning since 2018.

Some 10,000 soldiers and 250 aircraft, including 70 from Germany and more than 100 from the US, take part in the maneouver until June 23, Xinhua news agency reported.

About 300 people protested against the exercise in northern Germany on Saturday, saying that it "underscores the rejection of negotiations with Russia and further escalates an already threatening situation".

Germany's civil aviation industry, which has seen major strikes in recent months, is fearing cancellations as a result of the military exercise. Despite claims from the military that no flight cancellations are to be expected, Matthias Maas, head of the German air traffic control union (GdF), said such claims are "unrealistic and have no basis in fact".

Major airports in Germany are planning for unscheduled late-night takeoffs during the exercise as a precautionary measure.