ANATOLIAN EAGLE AIR EXERCISE 2025/2
Exercise Anatolian Eagle 2025/2 (Anadolu Kartali) concluded on Friday, July 4th in Konya, Turkey. Despite numerous last-minute cancellations (JF-17 Pakistani AF; F-16 United Arab Emirates AF; F-16 Oman AF; F-16 Egypt AF), the 2025/2 edition saw the participation of numerous other nations from the Middle Eastern basin.
The hosts were present with approximately 45 aircraft, including F-16/E-7T/CN-235/KC-135/AS.532s, while the guests included twelve USAFE F-16Cs from Aviano, three Hungarian JAS-39 Gripens, three Jordanian F-16s, two Azerbaijani Su-25s, six Saudi F-15SAs, three Qatari Eurofighters, and NATO AWACS.
The participating personnel numbered over 1,000, including some foreign observers.
In total, over the two-week exercise, more than 415 sorties were planned and executed, totaling approximately 800 flight hours.
The exercise's motto, "Train as you fight," is ever present in the minds of the organizers, who annually update the mission types based on previous experience, but also with an eye to potential future/possible threats and new technologies. This year, for the first time, UAV systems were used in direct and independent strike missions, and also for the first time in this exercise, air operations were conducted to intercept and eliminate a massive cruise missile attack.
As Maj. Ekrem ÇEKIN, the exercise supervisor, pointed out, "Anatolian Eagle is not merely an exercise; it is a multinational declaration of will aimed at preserving regional stability. This year, the exercise -conducted with air force elements from various nations- has reached a critical phase, incorporating several important firsts.
1- Crisis Phase Implementation
For the first time in an international exercise, crisis phase scenarios preceding the outbreak of war simulated through actual flight missions. Within this framework, pilots were trained in preventive air operation planning, rules of engagements, and deterrence techniques aimed at preventing a surprise attack before conflict erupts. This represents one of the most advanced models of preparation for preservation of peace.
2- Cruise Missile Interception Training
Also for the first time in the Anatolian Eagle Exercise, blue forces elements conducted interception and elimination operations in response to a simulated mass cruise missile attack launched by the red force. This scenario tested the joint reaction capabilities of the Turkish Air Force and allied units against asymmetric missile threats that may be encountered in modern warfare environments.
3- The third innovation is the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in a strike role
For the first time in an internationally conducted exercise within the scope of conventional operations, UAVs alone were assigned to perform direct strikes missions. More importantly, manned fighter aircraft conducted escort and protection missions for the Turkish defense industry-produced Akinci, Anka-S, and Anka-3 UAVs operating in the strike role. This scenario represent one of the most advanced examples of manned-unmanned system integration and showcases the technology-driven transformation capacity of both the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish defense industry.
These developments reflect not only the scope of this exercise, but also a vision for an air force that is prepared for the operational environments of the future. Anatolian Eagle is a product of joint training, shared understanding, and collective deterrence. Additionally, as part of this year's Anatolian Eagle Exercise, the strike plans prepared by the pilots were tested in combat simulator used by many countries prior to the actual flights. When the results obtained from the real missions were compared with the simulation outputs, it was observed that they matched by over 90%. This clearly demonstrates how realistic and closely aligned with operational conditions the Anatolian Eagle Exercise truly is.
"Train as you Fight" is the motto that sums up the essence of the Turkish exercise in a few words: offering participants an environment largely free from the limitations typical of highly urbanized areas, thus granting a freedom of action rarely found during normal training activities, representing the closest thing the crews would encounter during real operations.
To conclude, we would like to provide some significant figures on the ever-increasing importance of the Anatolian Eagle exercise: From 2001 to today, 55 training periods have been completed, for a total of more than 27,000 missions, involving nearly 3,400 aircraft and the participation of approximately 41,000 men and women.