International ANATOLIAN PHOENIX Exercise
Anatolian Phoenix Exercises have been held twice a year, with the participation of Air Forces Command, Land Forces Command and General Staff Special Forces Command, in order to train Personnel Rescue Task Force elements in a realistic operational environment and bring them to the level of experience required by today's and future battlefields since 2009. It is carried out under the coordination of the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya.
The Anatolian Phoenix Exercise has started to be carried out in a national and international manner since 2012. In the exercise, in which jet aircraft, helicopters and rescue teams participated, joint personnel rescue procedures to be carried out in the operational environment are tested and developed and the aim is to operate the command and control process effectively. Within the scope of Joint or Combined Operations, tasks such as close air support, dynamic targeting, and time-sensitive targeting are planned and executed by including them in exercise scenarios.
International Anatolian Phoenix - 2024 Exercise was held between 6 May - 17 May 2024, with the participation of national and foreign elements, hosted by the Anatolian Eagle Training Center Command (AKEM/AETC) at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command / Konya.
The AETC is a high-level training center, providing realistic combat training opportunities to TurAF Squadrons and friendly countries in a high threat environment, more sophisticated than the unit level training on aspects such as the size of the airspace, tactical ranges, threat emitters and number of participants. The AETC is one of four tactical training centers (Maple Flag/Canada, Red Flag/US, ACE/Pakistan and Anatolian Eagle/ Türkiye) around the world, but the only one in Europe. The AETC has a vision to be the most prestigious and preferred Tactical Training Center in the world.
The Turkish Land, Naval, and Air Forces Commands, Gendarmerie General Command, General Staff Special Forces Command, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Romania, Poland and Saudi Arabia actively participated in the International Anatolian Phoenix - 2024 Exercise , while USA, Germany, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Korea, North Macedonia, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt, Mongolia, Portugal, Jordan, Tunisia and Oman participated as observers.
The International Anatolian Phoenix-2024 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.
According the exercise leading scenario there four fictional countries. Throughout the exercise, tension will mainly ocur between the Red and Blue countries, while operations will also countinue intermittently in the Black and Yellow countries which are neighboring of the Blue Country. The intelligence scenario is totally imaginary and does not aim to reflect any historical and/or current political situation. Countries in scenario have been considered in order to achieve training goals of the exercise.
The Red Country is located to the west of the Blue Country and has been experiencing tension between form any years due to the region’s rich underground and water resources. Recently the Red Country has been exhibiting hostile activities near the border and frequently violating the borders of the Blue Country. In order to ensure its own border security, Blue Country is planning einternal operations within the Red Country and aims establish a safe zone to eliminate the threat. The Blue Country does not aim to invade the territory of the Red Country, but seeks to establish a safe zone up to 30 NM west of the borders. It will remain regaion until it imposes conditions on the Red Country.
The Black Country is located is to the east of the Blue Country, and although it appears neutral, terrorist groups known to support the Red Country. Occasionally, terrorist groups intending to measures reactions attacks towards the border of the Blue Country. To ensure border securty, Blue Country engages all threats with fire. As a result of the long-standing friendly relations, the Blue Country’s forward air base is located on the southern border of the Yellow Country which is allied with the Yellow Country.
According to the leading scenario, the tasks implemented in the exercise are as follows: Convoy Protection, Close Air Support, Casualty Evacuation, Parachute Jump and CSAR missions within the scope of the exercise are carried out at the Konya Firing Range. Elements participating in this year's exercise;
Air Force Command: 4x F-16C/D (132nd Squadron “Daggers” 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya), 1x E-7T AEW&C Aircraft (131st Squadron “Wiseman” 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya), 1x ANKA-S UCAV (302nd Squadron “Thunder” 10th Main Jet Base, Incirlik), 1x CN-235M-100 Aircraft (135th Squadron “Blaze” 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya), 2x AS-532AL Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopters (135th Squadron “Blaze” 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya), 1x T-70 Helicopter (135th Squadron “Blaze” 3rd Main Jet Base, Konya), 2x PR (Personnel Recovery – CSAR) Teams and 1x JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) Team
Land Forces Command: 1x AS-532UL Helicopter (Army Aviation School Command, Ankara), 2x T-129B ATAK Helicopters (1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, Isparta) and 1x JTAC Team
Naval Forces Command: 1x SAT (Underwater Assault - Turkish Navy SOF) Team
General Staff Special Forces Command: 1x T-70 Helicopter (General Staff Special Air Regiment, Ankara) and 1x Special Forces Team
Gendarmerie General Command: 1x S-70A Helicopter (Gendarmerie Aviation School Command, Ankara) and 2x JÖAK (Gendarmerie Commando Special Public Order Command) Teams
Azerbaijan: 2x Su-25ML Aircraft (2nd Squadron, 411st Air Force Base, Kürdəmir), 2x CSAR Teams and 1x JTAC Team
Qatar: 2x NH-90TTH Helicopters (9th Squadron, Doha Air Base), 2x AW139 Helicopters (23rd Squadron, Doha Air Base), 2x AH-64E Attack Helicopters (41st Squadron, Doha Air Base), 1x C-17A Strategic Transport Aircraft (10th Squadron, Doha Air Base) and 2x TB-2 UCAV (Reconnaissance Wing, Al-Udeid Air Base)
Romania: 2x IAR-330M (572nd Squadron, 57th Air Base, Constanta), 1x CSAR Team and 1x JTAC Team
Saudi Arabia: 1x CSAR Team and 1x JTAC Team
Poland: 2x JTAC Teams
715 military personnel took part in the exercise.
The Distinguished Observer and Press Day of the exercise were held on 16 May, 2024, with Turkish Air Force Combat Air Force Commander General İsmail GÜNEYKAYA, Albanian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Ferdinant DIMO and Mongolian Air Force Commander Colonel GANBAT followed live on the firing field.
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 Qatari TB-2 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 4x 500lb Mk-82 general-purpose bombs. Later, one AS-532UL from the Turkish Air 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 T-70 from the Special Forces Command and one S-70A-18 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, one AS-532AL belonging to the Turkish Air Force and two NH-90TTH belonging to the Qatar Emiri Air Force 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
