Anatolian Eagle 2025 | Aviation Press

Author: Ian French
Photographers: Paul Witty & Jon Astley

Anatolian Eagle is an international training exercise based at Konya Air Base in the centre of Turkey. The first exercise was held in 2001 although its roots could be linked back to the 1980s when Turkey began a huge modernisation program. Up to and including 2025 a total of 16 different countries have participated in the exercises with 3,300 aircraft and flying 27,000 sorties. The potential training area is vast and covers 120,000 square kilometres with a ceiling of 50,000 feet.

Anatolian Eagle and Konya Air Base have a mission statement to be the most prestigious and preferred Tactical Training Centre in the world. At the pilot level the exercise is designed to provide war time training and experience so as to improve survivability, especially in the early days of a war. In addition, the coordination and interoperability between different air forces operating different types of aircraft is improved.

International participants comprised the following:

Flying Wing 1 with Typhoon from Emir Tamin bin Hamed Al Thani Air Base, Qatar

92 Squadron with F-15SA from King Abdullah Aziz Air Base, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

1 Squadron with F-16AM & BM from As Shaheed Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base, Jordan

Harcászati Repülőszázad with JAS-39C from Kecskemét, Hungary

Sukhoi Su-25 of Su-25 Eskadrilya from Lokbatan Air Base, Bake, Azerbaijan

F-16CM from 510 Fighter Squadron and 555 Fighter Squadron USAF from Aviano Air Base, Italy

Turkish Air Force visiting participants brought F-16s from 113, 151, 152, 161, 162, 181 and 192 Filos and an F-4E from 111 Filo.

Based aircraft were Boeing E-7Ts from 131 Filo, F-16s from 132 Filo and AS532s, CASA CN235Ms and T-70s from 135 Filo.

Anatolian Eagle is run on a similar basis to the Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in the USA, with an aggressor force (the Blue Team) and a defending force (the Red Team) to simulate a war time environment.

The Blue Team (comprised of visiting units) is tasked with attacking tactical and strategic targets of the Red Team during Combined Air Operations. The Red Team (comprised of the based 132 Filo F-16s) defends with opposing combat aircraft and Surface to Air Missiles (SAM).

During the exercise, the location, positioning and flight information of participating aircraft is transferred to a Command Control Centre. Radar tracks and missile shots from the SAM systems, AWACS aircraft and other anti-aircraft systems are also transferred to the Command Control Centre. The AWACS aircraft (based 131 Filo Boeing E-7Ts & NATO Boeing E-3As) provide command and control support to the Blue Team and land based radar supports the Red Team. Air to air refueling is provided to both teams. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) is provided by the based 135 Filo Eurocopter AS532UL Cougars & Sikorsky/TAI T-70 Blackhawks.

Aviation Press would like to thank our the Turkish Air Force for their generous assistance and hospitality.

Su-25s 27 white & 33 Blue of Su-25 Eskadrilya, Azerbaijan Air Force

QA421 Typhoon of Flying Wing 1, Qatar Air Force

QA416 Typhoon of Flying Wing 1, Qatar Air Force

QA407 Typhoon of Flying Wing 1, Qatar Air Force

9250 F-15SA of 92 Squadron, Royal Saudi Air Force

94-080 CN235M-100 of the based 135 Filo

132 F-16BM of 1 Squadron, Royal Jordanian Air Force

153 F-16AM of 1 Squadron, Royal Jordanian Air Force

155 F-16AM of 1 Squadron, Royal Jordanian Air Force

9239 F-15SA of 92 Squadron, Royal Saudi Air Force

9241 F-15SA of 92 Squadron, Royal Saudi Air Force

9246 F-15SA of 92 Squadron, Royal Saudi Air Force

93-0008 F-16C of the based 132Filo

92-0014 F-16C of 192Filo

92-0006 F-16C of 162Filo

91-0022 F-16D of 151Filo

91-0020 F-16C of the based 132Filo

90-0010 F-16C of the based 132Filo

88-0516 F-16C coded AV of 510FS, USAF

88-0443 F-16CM coded AV of 510FS, USAF

88-0025 F-16C of the based 132Filo

88-0024 F-16C of the based 132Filo

Su-25s 27 white & 33 Blue of Su-25 Eskadrilya, Azerbaijan Air Force

27 White Sukhoi Su-25ML of Su-25 Eskadrilya, Azerbaijan Air Force

31 JAS-39C of Harcászati Repülőszázad, Hungarian Air Force

33 Blue Sukhoi Su-25 of Su-25 Eskadrilya, Azerbaijan Air Force

77-0303 F-4E-2020 of 111Filo

13-004 E-7T of the based 131Filo

13-003 E-7T of the based 131Filo

07-1015 F-16D of 161Filo

01-2524 AS532UL of the based 135 Filo

36 JAS-39C of Harcászati Repülőszázad, Hungarian Air Force

90-0007 F-16C of 132Filo

QA421 Typhoon of Flying Wing 1, Qatar Air Force

F-15SAs of 92 Squadron, Royal Saudi Air Force ready for the morning’s mission

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