TurAz Falcon 2021 exercise
This relatively small exercise is held annually between the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK, Turkish Air Force) and the Azərbaycan Hərbi Hava Qüvvələri (AzAF, Azerbaijan Air Force).
The 2021 edition was held at Konya air base (Turkey) from 6 to 17 September 2021.
The goal of these exercises is to integrate the fighter aircraft of the two countries in unified military scenarios and to exchange experiences between the aircrew of both air forces regarding the tactics which are used.
The general scenario is to destroy imaginary attacks by enemy fighters, to evade air defence assets and to launch air strikes on certain ground targets in accordance with the plan of the exercises.
According to the Azerbaijani Defence Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov and Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar; "the joint exercises contribute to further improving the professionalism of military pilots and further develop bilateral military cooperation aimed at ensuring the security of Azerbaijan and Turkey and their peoples, as well as stability in the region".
Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between both governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.
Eight combat aircraft, an airborne early warning and control aircraft, air defence systems and staff took part in the exercise. The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a small video from the event.
Photos by Azerbaijan MoD