Anatolian Eagle 2016: Through The Lens

The Turkish air force recently declared its fleet of Boeing E-7T Airborne Warning & Control aircraft, based on the Boeing 737, fully operational. Along with flying operational missions from Konya, they supported the exercise.

Turkish air force F-16 Fighting Falcons were, unsurprisingly, the most well-represented aircraft taking part in the exercise. Turkey operates Block 30/40/50 versions in a range of missions including air defense, ground attack, reconnaissance, as well as the suppression and/or destruction of enemy air defenses.

The Pakistani air force is a regular attendee at Anatolian Eagle exercises, usually bringing its F-16s. Both the Turkish and Pakistani air forces have adopted a high degree of interoperability and train together each year. This year, the Pakistani air force was represented by 11 Sqdn. “Arrows” based at Mushaf air base, near Sargodha.

The Italian air force attended the exercise with six Panavia Tornados, including several electronic combat/reconnaissance versions for the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses and several of the standard interdictor/strike ground-attack variety.

Konya normally enjoys good weather throughout the spring and summer, but for several days during this year’s exercise, the weather was unseasonably cold and windy, more like Northern Europe. However, the missions continued. A Pakistan air force F-16 is pictured taxiing out while a counterpart from Turkey departs.

Turkey continues to operate a fleet of about 50 McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms. They have been extensively upgraded by Israel to the Terminator 2020 standard, allowing them to drop a range of smart munitions, including the standoff SOM-A cruise missile. Eight of the aircraft were in attendance at this year’s exercises. This one is carrying a Maverick drill round.

The Royal Saudi Air Force sent eight Panavia Tornados to this year’s Anatolian Eagle. Previously painted in a desert camouflage, the fleet is being painted in this rather less glamorous gray now being adopted across many other types in the air force. The Saudi aircraft had an extended stay, taking part in bilateral exercises between the two countries before the exercise began.

This Lockheed C-130B Hercules is among the oldest Hercules flying anywhere in the world, but it is plying its trade in Turkey supporting the redeployment of ground equipment.

Saudi Tornados have been regularly upgraded in recent years, following a similar upgrade track to British counterparts. An ongoing program, the Tornado Sustainment Program Phase Three will eventually allow the country’s Tornados to drop the Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bomb and will improve their avionics and mission systems.

This extremely rare Royal Jordanian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MF is one of just a handful of operational extended fuselage Il-76 airlifters and was apparently used to fly Saudi ground support equipment home after the exercise, as the Saudis lack a heavy airlifter in this class. The Saudis also supported the exercise with a Boeing KE-3 and an Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.