Aviation Photography - Exercise 'Anatolian Eagle 2022' Konya Air Base

Exercise 'Anatolian Eagle 2022'
3rd Main Jet Base Command (3'üncü Ana Jet Üs Komutanligi)
Konya Air Base, Turkey
June 2022

Supporting officers and planners outside the Anatolian centre attending AE2022.

Anatolian Eagle 2022

AE2022 ran from June 20 to July 1, 2022 and saw the participation of aircraft from Azerbaijan, United Kingdom, Jordan, Pakistan, and NATO. The Anatolian Eagle exercise has been run alamost annually since the first one was held in 2001. It is designed to test the pilot's capabilities in multiple realistic combat scenarios, conducting air operations against simulated adversary aircraft.
The complex exercise scenarios of AE2022 consisted Composite Air Operations (COMAOs) on tactical and strategic targets defended by Aggressor aircraft and Surface to Air Missile (SAM) threats of all types (notably SA-6 'Gainful', SA-8 'Gecko' SA-11 'Gadfly'ZSU 23-4 'Gundfish' and Skyguard/Sparrow), CAP (Combat Air Patrols), Fighter Sweep and SEAD/DEAD (Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses), AI (Air Interdiction), CAS (Close Air Support) and CSAR (Combat SAR). The daily operations were organised by the Anatolian Eagle Training Centre at Turkey's 3rd Main Jet Base Command (3'üncü Ana Jet Üs Komutanligi) at Konya. Planned against high threat environments, 196 sorties (with a reported 71% success rate) against 80 target DMPIs (Designated Mean Point of Impact) were flown within a 120 by 216 nautical mile wide airspace.

The media and he spotters on the following day were given a very impressive display by Solo Türk.

Anatolian Eagle Ramp (west side).

The Air Assets Involved for Anatolian Eagle AE2022

Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri)
31 (19 deployed and 12 non-deployed) F-16 Fighting Falcons comprising;
5x F-16C/D block 30/50 Fighting Falcons 113 Filo from Eskisehir in multi-role/Recce'.
10x F-16C/D block 30/50 Fighting Falcons 132 Filo from Konya in multi-role as Red air.
6x F-16C/D block 40 Fighting Falcons of 151 from Merzifon/Amasya in SEAD/multi-role.
4x F-16C/D block 40/50+ Fighting Falcons of 161/162 from Bandirma in multi-role.
3x F-16C block 40/50 Fighting Falcons of 181/182 Filo from Diyarbakir in multi-role.
3x F-16C block 40/50 Fighting Falcons of 191/192 Filo from Balikesir in multi-role.

2 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom 2020s of 1st Air Wing (Ana Jet Üssü or AJÜ), 111 Squadron (Filo) 'Panterler' (Panthers) based at Eskisehir were just visiting AE2022.

The Royal Air Force - 140 Expeditionary Air Wing.
4 Typhoons flown by 3(F) Squadron based at RAF Coningsby they flew multi-role missions.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
6 Lockheed Martin F-16A/B MLU Fighting Falcons flown by 11(MR) Squadron 'Arrows', 39 Multi-Role Wing of PAF Southern Air Command, based at Shahbaz Air Base.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force (Silah ul-Jawu al-Malaki 'al-Urduni)
3 Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons flown by 1 Squadron based at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base flew multi-role missions.

The Azerbaijani Air Force (Herbi Hava Qüvveleri).
2 Sukhoi Su-25 Grach (Rook) 'Frogfoot' of Azerbaijani Air Force attended AE2022 in the air to ground role.

Supporting particpants included;
Akinci UAV, E-7T Peace Eagle (Command and Control - C2), Anka-S UAV (Recce)
KC-135R Stratotanker (AAR)
E-3A Sentry NATO AWACS from Geilenkirchen, Germany.
2 Frigates, plus an array of Surface Based Air Defence (SBAD) systems utilising the Electronic Warfare Test and Training Center (EWTTC) range.

F-16D Fighting Falcon (94-1560) with 9 AJÜ, 191 Filo.

Left to right: F-16C Fighting Falcon (90-0012) with 5 AJÜ, 151 Filo.
F-16C Fighting Falcon (93-0681) of 9 AJÜ, 191 Filo.
F-16D Block 50+ Fighting Falcon (07-1029) with 6 AJÜ, 161 Filo, some of the TuAF crews their celebrated apparent successful missions on their return to Konya.
F-16C Fighting Falcon (90-0014) with 8 AJÜ, 181 Filo.

"The successful participation of RAF Typhoons in Exercise Anatolian Eagle is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and I'm incredibly proud of what they have collectively achieved. The fact we've been able to join this exercise whilst continuing operations in Romania is an impressive feat and truly highlights the agility of the Typhoon Force."
Wing Commander Holland Commanding Officer of 140 Expeditionary Air Wing.
Anatolian Eagle Ramp (east side)
Left to right: Typhoon FGR.4s (ZK311 '311', ZK369 '369', ZK374 '374' and ZK437 '437') with 3(F) Squadron but did not carry any squadron markings. Taking a break from their deployment to Romania for Operation BILOXI the NATO enhanced Air Policing and enhanced Vigilance Activity tasking they had undertaken since early April. They were employed in multiple realistic combat scenarios, acting as blue force conducting air operations against simulated adversary aircraft.

Sukhoi Su-25 Grach 'Frogfoot' (33 blue) with Su-25 Eskadrilya, Azerbaijani Air Force (Herbi Hava Qüvveleri) based at Kyurdamir.

Left to right: F-16BM Fighting Falcon (133 and 134) with and F-16BM (148) all with 1 Squadron The Royal Jordanian Air Force (Silah ul-Jawu al-Malaki 'al-Urduni) based at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.

Lockheed Martin F-16B Block-15 EMLU-III Fighting Falcon (84606 ex 81-0936) 11(MR) Squadron 'Arrows', 39 Multi-Role Wing of PAF Southern Air Command, based at Shahbaz Air Base.
It has an Indian flag painted as a killmark as this aircraft shot down an Indian Air Force Su-30MKI with a AMRAAM AIM-120C5 BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air missile missile on February 27, 2019. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) conducted six air strikes, codenamed Operation Swift Retort, at locations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. These strikes were conducted in retaliation to the Indian Air Force air strike in Balakot on the previous day.

Left to right: Boeing E-7T Peace Eagle 'Wedgetail' (13-001 'Kuzcy') from 131 Filo and powering up for another mission.
Boeing E-3A NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force (NAEW&CF) (LX-N90456). The NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force's E-3A Sentry which is permanently detached to Konya and NATO's Deployable Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC) took part in the exercise for the first time.
2 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom 2020s of 1st Air Wing (Ana Jet Üssü or AJÜ), 111 Squadron (Filo) 'Panterler' (Panthers) based at Eskisehir were just visiting AE2022. F-4E Phantom 2020 (73-1023 '023') with a special tail 'Tribute to Old Phantom Phighters' and (77-0288 '288') with a special tail 'Celebrating 70th Anniversary of NATO'.

Baykar Savunma Akinci (Raider) (PT-5) with 341 Filo 'Gölge' (Shadow) based at Batman.
Baykar Savunma Akinci (Raider) (PT-5) with 341 Filo 'Gölge' (Shadow) based at Batman. It is a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) manufactured in Turkey by Baykar. It entered service with the Turkish Air Force in August 2021 and was attending Anatolian Eagle for the first time.

I would like thank the Turkish Air Force and PAO, Capt. Emrah Akbay and M.Sgt. Tevfik Cimen for their assistance.