The latest edition of Turkey’s Anatolian EagleAir exercise was held during 17-28 June 2019 at Konya Air Base in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Konya is one of three main Tactical Training Centres in the Western alliance, along with Nellis which hosts Red Flag in the USA and the Maple Flag held at the Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta.There are several exercises under the nomenclature Anatolian Eaglewhich take place at Konya during the year, and it is here that the Pakistan Air Force has regularly participated, earlier with F-16s but this time with the JF-17 Thunder which came from the recently raised No.28Squadron, home based at Samungli near Quetta.
Origins of Anatolian Eagle go back to the 1980s when the Turkish Air Force embarked on a modernisation programme, and well recognised that the training of its personnel was as vital as having the right equipment. The 3rd Main Jet Base at Konya, which is located on edge of the vast and sparsely populated Konya Plains in Central Anatolia, was chosen as this is considered an ideal location for such exercises,the necessary infrastructure completed in June 2001, only a few days before the start of the first Anatolian Eagle exercise,participants being from the Turkish, United States and Israeli Air Forces.
Further expansion was made in 2003 with the introductionof Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and a dedicated aircraft parking area, the Eagle ramp, was inaugurated in 2008. The Anatolian Eagleexercisesare carried out several times a year and the Konya has hosted delegations from up to 14 nations, including USA, Europe and the Middle East, as well as NATO. Pakistan has been a regular participant.
The exercises have many similarities with Red Flag and“one of its objectives is to provide a realistic operational environment to give inexperienced pilots exposure to being part of a large force in wartime conditions, with the aim of increasing their survivability, especially in the early days of a war. It also provides an opportunity for an exchange of experiences amongst participating aircrew and the facility to improve interoperability between different air forces operating different types of aircraft”.
The Exercise takes place over airspace spread over 50,000 square miles, and altitude of up to 50,000ft, sine 70 miles east of Konya. There is also a designated area over the Mediterranean, north of Cyprus, for maritime operations, which allows room for 70 to 80 fighters to operate in safely.
As with Red Flag, the visiting units form Blue Force, and are augmented by the addition of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, either from Boeing E-7T Peace Eagles of 131 Filo or NATO Boeing E-3A Sentries from NATO’s AEW&C Force. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) is provided by the based 135 Filo, using their Airbus AS532AL Cougars and Bell UH-1H Iroquois.
Red Force is provided by Konya based 132 Weapons and Tactics Squadron, with their Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons, which operate in the Aggressor role. Controlling the exercise is the White Force, which develops the scenarios, releases the Air Tasking Orders (ATOs), monitors the missions and analyses the results. Under their auspices Command and Control (C2) of the exercise is provided using the Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (ACMI) system, which allows the White Force to track in real time every aircraft taking part, and to be able to monitor such parameters as their altitude and airspeed.
Fundamentally the Blue Forceare given targets to attack in the Redlands using Combined Air Operations (COMAO), which are defended by the Red Force with aircraft and ground-based systems.
The Anatolian Eagle facilities are located in one area on the Western side of the base, with each Force having its own buildings within the complex; Blue Force has three buildings whilst Red and White have one each. Only members of the respective Force are allowed in their buildings, all situated close to the main briefing room, which nearby are accommodation blocks and other social facilities.
Various operations, some real time, are analysed and lessons learnt applied to the exercise making it as realistic as possible. Dynamic Targeting (DT), which isattack on targets not originally included in the deliberate targeting process, and Time Sensitive Targeting (TST), which are targets requiring immediate response because they pose danger to ‘friendly forces’ or are highly lucrative, fleeting targets of opportunity are often mandated.
As in other, similar, air exercises, the first week is devoted to briefings and local familiarisation flights and missions flown in the next two weeks, by day and night in all weather conditions.
At the end there is a final mission and then mass the briefing, with Blue Forces flying home, their spares and various logistic support equipment being airlifted by transport aircraft. The exercise in June 2019 had participants from The United States, Azerbaijan, Italy, Qat6ar, NATO, Pakistan, Jordan apart from the host nation Turkey. The latter had 600 personnel was there were another 450 from the other Air Forces.
The largest number of aircraft were, logically, from the host nation, the Turkish Air Force deploying F-4Es Phantoms, F-16s, CN-235, C-130, C-160, AS-532 Cougar and E7T AEW aircraft.The USAF sent six F-15Es, the Royal Jordanian Air Forcethree F-16s, the Italian Air Force three AMXs the Qatar Air Force one each C-17 and C-130, NATO provided a E-3A while the Pakistan Air Force brought their JF-17s (cover story).Azerbaijan sent a small Observers team and the Turkish Navy deployed two frigates and an assault boat.
As Lt Col Jaina Donberg, commanding the USAF 49th Fighter Squadron said the “When we train together, we will be better prepared to respond to any crisis or contingency. By training together face-to-face and in the air, we’re building those lasting relationships, which will make us more effective in combat”. “This is a unique opportunity to train in a forward operating location in Turkey, as well as integrate from mission planning, briefing, execution and debrief with our partner and allied nations,” concluded Donberg.
Exercise ‘Anatolian Eagle’ is an air enthusiasts paradise, particularly the opportunity given for real time photography. The superb images in this Vayu special article were taken by the team of Onur Kurc and Tayfun Yasar who were conducted around the flight line and aprons by the Turkish Air Force and given full access to ‘shoot’ to their heart’s content. Readers of the Vayu are presented this result of their professionalism.
Text and photos : Onur Kurc and Tayfun Yasar with extracts from various sources.