Member states of NATO displayed their aerial might and preparedness at the military alliance’s Tiger Meet exercise. Türkiye, a major actor in the bloc, joined the exercise in Italy’s Gioia del Colle military airport with three F-16 aircraft featuring the Tiger emblem. Aircraft from the Turkish Air Force’s 9th Main Jet Base in the western Turkish province of Balıkesir was accompanied by 49 military personnel.
The exercise runs between Oct. 2 and 13 at the military airport in southeastern Italy. Organized by the NATO Tiger Association with its Tiger-emblazoned squadrons, it takes place after a 35-year hiatus and is hosted by the Italian Air Force, marking a 62-year tradition. The event involves around 80 aircraft and 2,000 personnel from 13 nations.
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 their fresh tiger-inspired designs and the exceptional performance of Turkish pilots.
Air Force Col. Ali Yaman, who is leading the Turkish unit participating in the exercise, told Anadolu Agency (AA) 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 conveyed the intent of continuing 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 event held on Sunday," he added.
Yaman highlighted that the Turkish F-16 jets attracted significant attention with their red-black tiger-patterned paint jobs. "During the planning phase of the exercise, we were inspired by the colors of our national flag and chose to use red. Our flight suits were designed in a red-white theme. We also used the red theme on the aircraft, which garnered great interest among local Italians. They showed a lot of enthusiasm in the red color. We received extremely positive feedback and responses. Hopefully, we expect to receive the award for the best-painted aircraft at the end of the mission."