Turkish Air Force taking part in NATO drill in Italy

Published October 11,2023

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The Turkish Air Force is participating in NATO’s Tiger Meet air train in southeastern Italy from Oct. 2-13.

The train, organized by the NATO Tiger Association with its Tiger-emblazoned squadrons, is going down after a 35-year hiatus and is being hosted by the Italian Air Force, marking a 62-year custom.

Held at “Antonio Ramirez” Gioia del Colle Air Base, the occasion entails round 80 plane and a complete of two,000 personnel from 13 nations.

Türkiye is participating with three F-16 plane that includes the Tiger emblem from the ninth Main Jet Base of the Turkish Air Force in Balikesir province together with 49 personnel.

NATO’s Tiger Meet air train holds important significance because it demonstrates the interoperability of NATO member nations, strengthens their bonds and showcases air energy as a deterrent drive.

The Turkish F-16 jets have distinguished themselves throughout the train because of each their contemporary tiger-inspired designs and the distinctive efficiency of the Turkish pilots.

Air Force Colonel Ali Yaman, who’s main the Turkish unit collaborating within the train, instructed Anadolu that they accomplished their deployment to the Gioia del Colle base on Sept. 29.

Yaman mentioned they efficiently accomplished all their missions the earlier week, yielding excellent outcomes.

He additionally indicated their intent to hold on with their missions within the coming week.

“It is our top priority. The Turkish Air Force is an indispensable element of NATO. Here, we perform joint missions with 13 different countries. We received positive feedback on mission results and achieved successful outcomes. I am personally very pleased as well. I feel indebted to the Italian people, especially the base personnel, for their support and interest, particularly during the public day event held on Sunday,” he added.

Yaman highlighted that the Turkish F-16 jets with their red-black tiger-patterned paint jobs attracted important consideration.

“During the planning phase of the exercise, we were inspired by the colors of our national flag, and we chose to use the color red. Our flight suits were designed in a red-white theme. We also used the color red on the aircraft, which garnered a great deal of interest from the Italians. They showed a lot of interest in the red color. We received very positive feedback and responses. Hopefully, we expect to receive the award for the best-painted aircraft at the end of the mission.”