Security at a NATO air base in western Germany has been heightened due to intelligence indicating a potential threat, leading to the precautionary measure of sending non-essential staff home, as confirmed by NATO. The Geilenkirchen air base, situated near the Netherlands border, serves as the home base for the alliance's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
A social media post from the NATO AWACS fleet's account late Thursday night announced the elevation of security levels without specifying the nature of the threat, reassuring that operations are proceeding as scheduled. The Geilenkirchen base reiterated on Friday that the situation remains unchanged and declined to provide further details.
Reports from the German news agency dpa mentioned the presence of police cars on the air base premises following a deployment on Thursday night, although no specifics were disclosed. Last week, a German air force base near Cologne underwent a temporary lockdown amid concerns about potential tampering with its water supply, which was later disproven. Additionally, there were reports of suspicious activities near Geilenkirchen, resulting in a brief detention for questioning, but no wrongdoing was uncovered.
These recent events have occurred against a backdrop of heightened concerns regarding the susceptibility of infrastructure to potential Russian sabotage attempts. Prosecutors in Flensburg, located in Germany's northern region, have initiated an investigation into suspicions of espionage for sabotage purposes, with no further details provided. Media reports indicated the sighting of drones over a chemical park in Brunsbuettel on the North Sea coast.
