Photo Report : NATO Tiger Meet 2015
NATO Tiger Meet 2015 Turkey
Photo report by Giovanni Mattioli of the NATO Tiger Meet hosted by Turkey at Konya Air Base in May 2015.
The 55th NATO Tiger Meet of 2015 was organized by the Turkish Air Force’s 192 nci Filo, member of the NATO Tiger Association since 1980. The 192nd Tiger Squadron has been flying the F-16C/D Block 50 Fighting Falcon since 1992. Although the squadron is based at Balikesir, the Tiger Meet 2015 was hosted at the Anatolian Eagle Training Center at Konya Air Base from May 4 to 16.
Of the 23 full members of the NATO Tiger Association, seven squadrons participated in the NTM15 flying exercise. The 192 Filo deployed to Konya AB with eight F-16C/Ds. Both a single-seat F-16C as well as a two-seat F-16D carried special tiger paint schemes. The other six squadrons came from Poland, France, Switzerland, Italy, and the NATO AEW&C Flight.
Tiger Squadron | From | Aircraft |
192 nci Filo | Balikesir, Turkey | F-16C/D Block 40/50 (x8) |
6.ELT | Poznan, Poland | F-16C/D Block 52 (x6) |
EC 1/7 | Saint-Dizier, France | Rafale B/C (x4) |
ECE 5/330 | Mont-de-Marsan, France | using EC 1/7 aircraft |
21° Gruppo | Grazzanise, Italy | AB.212 (x2) |
1 AEW&CS | Geilenkirchen, Germany | E-3A (x2) |
Additionally staff of the Hellenic Air Force 335 Mira from Araxos joined as observer. For the Combined Air Operations (COMAO) missions a Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) KDC-10 was also deployed to provide tanker support. The Konya-based 132 Filo provided the opposing Red Air in the form of up to eight of its F-16C/D Fighting Falcons.
The first week included four exercise days with two COMAO missions per day, Thursday and Friday coinciding with the spotters’ days, unfortunately on Friday the afternoon mission was cancelled because of the weather. During the weekend some visitors from other Tiger Association members attended the meet, noteworthy was 12° Gruppo from Gioia del Colle arriving with two Typhoons. The second week had another seven COMAO missions planned until the ending ceremony on Thursday.
The NATO Tiger Meet 2016 will hosted by the Spanish Air Force’s 15 Ala at Base Aérea de Zaragoza.
Report and photos by Giovanni Mattioli ( view portfolio )
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Last Modified: 23 July 2015
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