Between 2nd May and 12th May 2023, the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK – Turkish Air Force) hosted the usual International Anatolian Eagle 2023 multinational exercise (AE 2023-2) at the 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya, in central Turkey.
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Abstract
“We are happy to host Allied and Partner nations at the Anatolian Eagle Training Center (AETC) Command. Our airmen worked to improve their skills and interoperability between the participating nations in training such as Composite Air Operations, Time Sensitive Targeting, Dynamic Targeting, High-Value Airborne Asset Protection, and Anti-Surface Air Operations,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hakan Girgin, AETC Commander, Turkish Air Force.
The objectives of the exercise are to prepare pilots and air defense personnel by working in an operational scenario that is as realistic as possible, developing joined and combined operational procedures, increasing mission effectiveness by giving the opportunity to the fighter pilots to execute their planned tactics in large aerial packages, keeping attrition to a minimum. Finally, by training the participants as they fight, the exercise is a useful forum to exchange ideas and lessons learned.
“Anatolian Eagle 2023-2 Training stood out as an excellent opportunity to showcase the readiness of our systems, aircraft, and airmen of the participating nations,” he underlined.
Since its establishment in 2001 up to 15 countries, more than 39000 personnel and 2000 air assets participated at 43 Anatolian Eagle editions for a total of around 26000 sorties flown, benefiting of large exercise areas available over land and sea near Konya Airbase, with a wide array of threat emitters and Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation System (ACMI) giving the opportunity to organize an absolute full-scale exercise similar to Red Flag.
The Exercise
The training scenario runs in a large surface area of 50,000 square miles and an airspace extending 120NM-216NM wide long up to 50,000 feet from the ground. It consists of two imaginary nations: Blue (democratic, with a strong military power) opposed to Red (a poor country but with a good military power and growing as a regional power). A pipeline passes within the Blue nation, near the border with the Red nation.
The area adjacent to it is attacked by the latter country and the Blue forces are called to re-establish full sovereignty in the disputed territory and to safeguard the strategic infrastructure. Under the control of AETC operational command, the Blue forces conducted Combined Air Operations (COMAO), SEAD/DEAD, air superiority, CAP (Combat Air Patrol), CAS (Close Air Support) against targets located within the Red country’s borders, heavily defended by different types of weapons from advanced SAM systems to 4-4,5 generation combat aircraft.
Two missions were flown every day, with one morning wave (Eagle 1) and an afternoon wave (Eagle 2 NON COMAO), each with up to 40 aircraft involved in the exercise. Success criteria were established when Air to Ground mission achieve at least 80% targets hit, while for air-to-air missions, the Blue Forces were to suffer no more than 20% losses.
The participants
It is worth note that the participants in this edition of the Anatolian Eagle, somehow reflect the latest geopolitical developments of Turkey towards some Middle Eastern countries, with a gradual rapprochement with the latter after the diplomatic tensions in recent years.
In fact, besides the numerous aircraft from the host nation and the usual presence of NATO, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, Anatolian Eagle 2023-2 saw the participation of the UAE which sent to Konya four of their F-16E/F Block 60 desert Falcon (considered by many the most advanced F-16 ever built). Furthermore, the presence of Saudi Arabia had been announced, but at the last moment the participation of the F-15s of the Royal Saudi Air Force was canceled.
The Qatar Emiri Air Force attended the exercise with five of its brand new Eurofighter Typhoons from 7 Squadron (1st Fighter Wing), Tamim Air Base. This marked the debut of the Qatari Typhoons in an international exercise abroad, just less than a year after the first deliveries of the type (the first Typhoons arrived in Qatar on 27 August 2022). Four more Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 were deployed by the Royal Air Force.
Another interesting debut at Anatolian Eagle was made by Pakistan Air Force which sent five F-16C/D Block52 belonging 5 (MR) Squadron “Falcons” based at Jacobabad/Shahbaz Air Base.
The Azerbaijan Air Force participated with a pair of Sukhoi Su-25s Froogfoot attack jets from Kürdəmir Air Base.
A single NATO’s (click here) E-3A AWACS (Konya is a Forward Operating Base for NATO’s AEW&C Force) along with a Turkish E-737 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft operated by the resident 131 Filo provided real time battlefield overview, relay vectors and target priority, enhancing situational awareness for the fighters involved in the operations.
The large Turkish component making up the Blue Force in the exercise consisted in one KC-135R tanker from 101 Filo, one ANKA-S and one AKINCI UAV of 302 Filo tasked for recce mission, four F-4E-2020 Phantom II belonging 111 Filo and F-16C/D from 113, 131, 151, 152, 161, 181 and 191 Filo. F-16C/Ds of 132 Filo acted as Red Air. A total of 34 Fighting Falcons were involved in Anatolian Eagle 2023-2. Turkish also deployed SAM Systems in order to expose aircrews to the threat environment.
The Author would like to thank the Turkish Air Force, the Lt Col. Hakan Girgin from AETC, Konya Airport, the Air Attache of Turkey in Rome, and the PAO for their help and great organization during this exercise.