After the largest series of exercises to date in the Indo-Pacific region, the German Air Force is preparing for further military engagement outside of Europe.

General Inspector of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, stated in comments to the German Press Agency (dpa) after concluding the first exercise in India on Tuesday, that when collaborating with partners who are not members of NATO, "we always learn something."

The "Pacific Skies" series of exercises also took place in Alaska, off Hawaii, in Japan, and Australia.

Gerhartz said, "The participation of the German Army and Air Force is not easy in the Indo-Pacific region. For us, the 'Pitch Black' exercise in Australia is the cornerstone for future projects... I can imagine that we will participate in the 'Pitch Black' exercise in Australia on a smaller scale every two years, and then perhaps we will expand it to the Indo-Pacific region on a larger scale every four years, so we can also train with other partners then."

Gerhartz pointed out that exercises are conducted regularly with NATO partners under the applicable regulations, explaining that non-NATO countries like Japan, Australia, and India do not know these standards. He said, "Therefore, it is important at the beginning of such training to know how partners handle complex tasks such as planning an air operation."

It is noteworthy that the German government has set out what is called the guidelines regarding the Indo-Pacific region, with the declared aim of deeper engagement by Germany in the economically and strategically important region, and expanding partnerships with those referred to as "value partners," some of whom are concerned about the dominant presence of the superpower China on the stage.