International Anatolian Phoenix 2023 Exercise
The International Anatolian Phoenix-2023 Exercise was held between June 05 and June 16, 2023, with the participation of national and foreign elements at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya. The event was hosted by AKEM (Anatolian Eagle Training Center Command). Since 2009, the Anatolian Phoenix Military Exercises have been conducted at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya twice every year to increase the level of experience required by the current and future battlefield by training "Personnel Recovery Task Force" elements in a realistic operational environment.
The Turkish Land, Naval, and Air Forces Commands, Gendarmerie General Command, General Staff Special Forces Command, and Azerbaijan, Qatar, and TRNC actively participated in the International Anatolian Phoenix Exercise, while Germany, Brazil, Indonesia, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Libya, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Jordan participated as observers.
The elements participating in this year’s exercise are as follows:
Air Force Command: 4x F-16C/D, 1x E-7T (AEW&C) Aircraft, 1x ANKA-S UCAV, 1x CN-235M-100 Aircraft, 2x AS-532AL Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopters, 1x T-70 Helicopter, 2x PR (Personnel Recovery) Teams, and 1x JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) Team,
Land Forces Command: 1x AS-532UL Helicopter, 2x T-129B ATAK Helicopters and 1x PR Team,
Naval Forces Command: 1x SAT (Turkish Navy SOF) Team and 2x Amphibious Teams,
Gendarmerie General Command: 1x T-70 Helicopter and 1x PR Team,
General Staff Special Forces Command: 1x S-70A-28 Helicopter and 1x Special Forces Team,
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: 1x AS-532UL Helicopter and 1x PR Team,
Qatar: 2x AW139 Helicopters, 2x AH-64E Attack Helicopter, 1x C-17 Strategic Transport Aircraft, 1x C-130J-30 Transport Aircraft, and 2x PR Teams,
Azerbaijan: 2x Su-25 Aircraft and 4x PR Teams.
The International Anatolian Phoenix-2023 aims to test and develop the command control process as part of the Personnel Recovery (PR) Operation, improve the interoperability of the PR Task Force elements (Helicopters, JTAC, PR, and CSAR teams) with the Air Force elements (Fighter jets, Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Aircraft, Transport Aircraft, and UAVs), develop the “Survival and Escape and Evasion” methods and increase the training level of the pilots. The exercise also aims to reveal the needs of Personnel Recovery Operations (such as doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel, and infrastructure), test new methods, weapons, and equipment by conducting Joint and/or Combined Personnel Recovery (PR), Close Air Support (CAS), Dynamic Targeting (DT), and Time-Sensitive Targeting (TST) missions in the exercise scenarios and improve/identify the level of interoperability and areas of cooperation with other countries.
The Distinguished Observer and Press Day of the exercise were held on June 15, 2023, with the participation of Turkish Air Force Commander General Atilla GÜLAN, Combatant Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal KADIOĞLU, and Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) Commander Major General Jassim Mohammed Ahmed AL-MANNAI. The Distinguished Observer and Press Day started with a press and distinguished observers briefing at the AKEM Main Briefing Hall on the Personnel Recovery (PR), Combat Search & Rescue (CSAR), and Dynamic Targeting (DT) scenarios to be held at the Konya Firing Range. Afterward, the participants visited the static area where the air force elements were exhibited.
During the exercise, which was planned to infiltrate and capture the enemy camp according to the scenario, the enemy air defense threat was first destroyed by two MAM-L munitions fired from the ANKA-S UCAV. Then the JTAC team, which will mark the hostile ground targets and direct the air elements, was parachuted into the area with a C-17 aircraft belonging to Qatar. The JTAC team detected the enemy units with the GÖZCÜ-II Handheld Integrated Electro-Optical Sensor System manufactured by ASELSAN and determined the coordinates of the targets. Another JTAC personnel illuminated the identified targets with the ASELSAN ENGEREK Laser Target Designator. Thus, the JTAC team directed two F-16Cs of the 132nd Squadron in the air toward the enemy elements. The F-16s successfully destroyed all targets with 4 500lb Mk-82 general-purpose bombs.
Later, one AS-532UL from the Turkish Land Forces and two AW-139 helicopters from the Qatar Emiri Air Force were dispatched to rescue the wounded soldier during the assault. Following the controlled landing of the helicopters, the friendly forces secured the area and carried the wounded personnel to the helicopter. During the take-off of the helicopters, two T-129B ATAK helicopters, which were in the area for close air support, provided suppressive fire against hostile forces with 20mm guns when the enemy infantry opened fire. While the helicopters were flying away from the area under cover fire, the paratrooper, who simulated an F-16 pilot who had fallen due to engine failure, landed in the area.
According to the scenario, a CSAR operation was carried out to save the downed pilot. As part of this mission, one S-70A-28 from the Special Forces Command and one T-70 from the Gendarmerie arrived in the area. The Personnel Recovery teams fast-roped from the hovering helicopters, and after the teams secured the crash zone and reached the pilot, 1 AS-532AL belonging to the Turkish Air Force and 1 AS-532UL belonging to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus landed and recovered the downed pilot. In the meantime, two AH-64E Apache helicopters belonging to Qatar destroyed the enemy convoy approaching the area with a 30mm cannon and 2.75-inch rocket fire to protect the helicopters.
The training ended with the jumping of the paratroopers and the low-level flight of the AH-64E helicopters, saluting the distinguished observers
