RAMSTEIN, Germany - For the first time this year, the German Air Force hosted one of four planned so-called MAGDAYs in the airspace over northwest Germany from 18 to 22 February. These multinational exercise days are to further the implementation of the NATO Framework Nations Concept by standing up a "Multinational Air Group” or MAG in short.

Based on the Framework Nations Concept endorsed by the Allies at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, Germany and other Allies committed themselves on ensuring the standing up of larger sets of forces. The purpose is to make military formations available to the Alliance that are interoperable, well-trained and committed to working together systematically.

Germany as the framework nation facilitates standing up the Multinational Air Group aimed at to establishing an initial operational capability by 2023 and full operational capability by 2026. The Multinational Air Group provides a toolbox which allows the participating nations to generate operationally ready forces geared to a specific mission and make them available to NATO.

The German Air Force plans to host four one-week exercises each this and next year; the exercises include two preparation days and two live-fly days.During the first MAGDAY in 2019 all German Air Force Eurofighter units from air bases at Nörvenich, Laage, Wittmund and Neuburg), Tornado units from air bases at Büchel and Jagel as well as many other supporting units came together. Moroever, the Hungarian Air Force deployed several of their Gripen fighter jets to Jagel Air Base to participate in the exercise together with observing representatives of the Polish Air Force.

Current plans foresee that besides Hungary and Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States will actively participate in the 2019 MAGDAYs. In particular the exercises will facilitate to gain of common experiences and to mutually exchange flying skills.