Gallery: Anatolian Phoenix

In 2008, Turkey introduced ‘Anatolian Phoenix’, an international exercise focused on helicopter operations and coordination between different military organizations in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Since then, helicopter crew training is organized twice a year at the Turkish 3rd Main Jet Base of Konya. It offers direct access to a wide training airspace and nearby firing range. Training includes elements like Rescue Mission Commander, Rescue Escort, Parachute Jumping, Personal Recovery and MedEvac. In 2022, the exercise saw the participation of Mi-17s of the Azerbaijan AF and included many international observers.

The exercise aims to test and develop the command control process as part of the Personnel Rescue (PR) Operation, test the interoperability of the PR Task Force elements (Helicopter, JTAC (Advanced Joint Terminal Attack Controllers), PR and CSAR teams) with the Air Force elements (Fighter jets, Command Control Aircraft and UAV pilots) in the combat zone, develop the “Survival and Escape and Evasion” methods and increase the training level of the pilots and within the scope of Joint and/or Combined Operations plan and execute the tasks such as Personnel Rescue (PR), Close Air Support (CAS), Dynamic Targeting (DT), Time-Sensitive Targeting (TST) by including them in the military exercise scenarios, develop the level of interoperability with other countries and identify areas of cooperation.