Anatolian eagle warplane exercise over Konya

Dozens of jet fighter pilots from the US, Britain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and NATO AWACS pilots, along with their Turkish counterparts from the Turkish Air Forces, are engaging in mock aerial battles over the central Anatolian province of Konya as part of the Anatolian Eagle 2009/2 military exercises. A total of 83 jets, most from Turkey, are engaging in live bombing and strafing in a realistic training environment with simulated surface-to-air missiles confronting aggressors. The exercises are similar to the Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in the US state of Nevada. The aerial battles are recorded on tape so that pilots can study errors that could have killed them in real combat. After starting on June 8, the drills will continue through Friday. The Anatolian Eagle 2009/2 exercises have been taking place at the 3rd Main Jet Airbase Command in Konya. Warplanes taking part in the drills include F-16s, Mirage-2000s, F-4s, and Eurofighters.