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Karo-Aviation visit Konya airbase for Anatolian Eagle 2016-2
Article and pictures by Rolph Klijn

This year’s Anatolian Eagle took place between the 30th of May and the 10th of June. Turkey being in between the Western and Eastern cultures Anatolian Eagle each year attracts very different participants. Undoubtedly making it a very much worthwhile exercise for air forces to attend. As trouble spots in the world are attended by coalition forces rather than one country’s army/ air force alone, integrated exercises are of great importance.

A lot of trouble spots being in the middle east these days a good understanding of each other’s operations and communications is paramount. This year was no exception with five participating Air Forces from outside of Turkey: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Italy and NATO assets. And of course the host air force itself came out in great numbers.

The vision for Anatolian Eagle is to be the most prestigious and preferred “Tactical Training Center” in the world. A very ambitious vision as it means competing with the also well established Red Flag and Maple Flag exercises. This year’s edition was the 15th . In these 15 years 14 air forces have found their way to Konya. Some nations participating multiple times, making a total of 38 exercises with 2.674 aircrafts and 32.367 support personal. Flying an impressive 22.869 sorties! Making their claim for this part of the world certainly true.

The mission for these two weeks is:
• Provide a realistic operational training domain,
• Enable fighters to execute their tactics,
• Provide a platform to exchange ideas,
• Keep fighters and GCI controllers current,
• Teach how to survive.

To do this a total of 13 Anatolian Eagle missions are flown with room in between for the individual participants to enhance some of their own skills.
To achieve the goals of the exercise the forces are divided in three major forces:
• White HQ, providing scenario development, monitoring and command and analyses.
• Red Force, providing the opposition
• Bleu Force, the guest air forces performing their missions.

Part of Red Force is 132Filo, flying the F16 in the aggressor role. Giving realistic opposition to the Bleu force by “punishing Bleu force mistakes”!

Apart from Red Force threatening them from above, on the range anti-aircraft systems like the SA8 Gecko, SA11 A/B Gadfly and the ZSU23-4 Gundish make the training value for Bleu Force very realistic.

Bleu Force consists of the international guests. Aided by the 131Filo flying the E7T and the NATO AEW&CF flying the E3A to provide the overall aerial picture.

135Filo flying the UH1 and Cougar helicopters in the CSAR role, making sure if you are not able to return to base on your own they get you home. A comforting thought for fighting airman.

Part of Red Force is 132Filo, flying the F16 in the aggressor role. Giving realistic opposition to the Bleu force by “punishing Bleu force mistakes”! Apart from Red Force threatening them from above, on the range anti-aircraft systems like the SA8 Gecko, SA11 A/B Gadfly and the ZSU23-4 Gundish make the training value for Bleu Force very realistic.

Bleu Force consists of the international guests. Aided by the 131Filo flying the E7T and the NATO AEW&CF flying the E3A to provide the overall aerial picture. 135Filo flying the UH1 and Coughar helicopters in the CSAR role, making sure if you are not able to return to base on your own they get you home. A comforting thought for fighting airman..

With the participating in AE and its recent deployment of aircraft during the Libya operation, Qatar now is utilizing its oil and gas dollars to not only greatly enhance its own defences, but also to enable it to play a much larger part in multinational peacekeeping operations

Karo-Aviation would like to thank the Turkish Air Force staff for our permission to attend Anatolian Eagle 2016-2. And to all the staff present at Konya Air Base for their warm welcome and hospitality.