(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Turkey and Qatar have reportedly established their first joint squadron involving fighter jets from air forces of both nations, according to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Defense.
The joint Turkey-Qatar squadron is believed to be based at Dukhan Air Base in Qatar, approximately five years after Ankara inaugurated its military base in the Gulf Arab state.
The formation of this joint fighter squadron marks a significant step in the deepening military ties between the two countries.
Turkey’s Air Force Commander, General Ziya Cemal Kadioglu, recently visited the Turkey-Qatar Joint Squadron at Dukhan Air Base to closely observe its “operations and training,” as well as its “preparations and facilities,” according to a post on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
This statement represents the first official acknowledgment of the existence of the joint Turkey-Qatar squadron by either nation.
However, it did not specify the types of fighter jets used by the squadron, its mission, or the number of aircraft involved from both air forces.
Nevertheless, images showed the presence of Turkish F-16 fighter jets alongside Qatar’s Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.
Previously, Qatar’s Air Force and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) also formed a joint squadron, initially based in the UK to train Qatar’s Eurofighter Typhoon pilots and crew.
The joint Qatar-UK squadron was later relocated to Qatar in 2022 to safeguard the country’s airspace during the FIFA World Cup, before returning to RAF Coningsby Air Base in early 2023.
The Qatar and Turkish Air Forces operate different types of fighter jets. In addition to Turkey stationing its aircraft in Qatar, the two countries signed an agreement in 2021 allowing Qatar to station a number of its air force aircraft and personnel in the Mediterranean nation.
The military agreement between the two nations was signed by Turkey’s then-Chief of General Staff, General Yasar Guler, and Qatar’s Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Ghanim bin Shaheen al-Ghanim.
Under the agreement, Qatar is permitted to deploy up to 250 air force personnel and 36 aircraft of various types to locations designated by the Turkish Armed Forces.
Qatari military aircraft are granted permission to fly in Turkish airspace and have access to airports within the Mediterranean country, in addition to receiving different flight identification numbers to distinguish them from local aircraft.
Turkish media reported that Qatar will deploy C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, along with 12 Rafale and 10 Mirage 2000 fighter jets, to Turkey.
The stationing of Qatari Air Force jets in Turkey, particularly the Rafale fighters, has raised concerns among Turkey’s neighbor, Greece.
Greece fears that Turkey’s Air Force could exploit the presence of the Dassault Aviation-made fighters in the Mediterranean country to learn about their “strengths and weaknesses” and use this knowledge to their advantage.
This could potentially prepare Turkey’s F-16 jets for future encounters with the Rafale fighters recently acquired by the Hellenic Air Force, especially during engagements in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.
Greece purchased 24 Rafale fighter jets after signing a $3.4 billion contract with Paris, 12 of which are second-hand aircraft from the French Air Force, while the remaining jets are newly built. – DSA