Germany: the army conducted a simulation exercise of an attack by a hijacked plane

The German government and army carried out a simulation exercise on Wednesday to respond to a scenario of an attack involving the hijacking of a civilian plane similar to the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office participated in the exercise in order to make real-time decisions in a critical and potentially dangerous situation for public security in Germany, according to government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius.

Following the decision, the German Bundeswehr and security services implemented the response. The scenario, called “Renegade,” involved the hijacking of a civilian plane, reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks where four planes were hijacked and used in attacks on New York and Washington, resulting in nearly 3000 deaths.

In this exercise, a civilian plane flew across Germany from south to north, likely headed towards a fictitious large-scale public event. Upon the cabinet decision, two Eurofighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane to an airfield in northern Germany. A German government source stated that due to the increasing threats of hybrid attacks, crisis response exercises are essential for national crisis preparedness.