By Baris Seckin
GIOIA DEL COLLE, Italy (AA) – The Turkish Air Force is taking part in NATO’s Tiger Meet air exercise in southeastern Italy from Oct. 2-13.
The exercise, organized by the NATO Tiger Association with its Tiger-emblazoned squadrons, is taking place after a 35-year hiatus and is being hosted by the Italian Air Force, marking a 62-year tradition.
Held at "Antonio Ramirez" Gioia del Colle Air Base, the event involves around 80 aircraft and a total of 2,000 personnel from 13 nations.
Türkiye is taking part with three F-16 aircraft featuring the Tiger emblem from the 9th Main Jet Base of the Turkish Air Force in Balikesir province along with 49 personnel.
NATO’s Tiger Meet air exercise holds significant importance as it demonstrates the interoperability of NATO member countries, strengthens their bonds and showcases air power as a deterrent force.
The Turkish F-16 jets have distinguished themselves during the exercise thanks to both their fresh tiger-inspired designs and the exceptional performance of the Turkish pilots.
Air Force Colonel Ali Yaman, who is leading the Turkish unit participating in the exercise, told Anadolu that they completed their deployment to the Gioia del Colle base on Sept. 29.
Yaman said they successfully completed all their missions the previous week, yielding outstanding results.
He also indicated their intent to carry on with their missions in 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 significant attention.
"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.”
*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul