Istanbul to host international conference on air and space power

ANKARA

Jean-Paul Palomeros, General Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO, speaks during a press conference on March 25, 2015. AFP Photo

At a time when the surrounding region is embroiled in conflicts, Turkey is set to host top commanders from NATO allies at the International Conference on Air and Space Power (ICAP 2015) in Istanbul, starting April 2. Attendees of the conference will include the head of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, General Jean-Paul Palomeros, and the commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, General Frank Gorenc.

The two-day ICAP 2015 conference, organized by the Turkish Air Force and the Air War College, is aimed at providing different approaches to regional and global security issues from an academic perspective.

According to the program posted on the official webpage of the Turkish Air War College, Turkish Air Forces Commander Gen. Akın Öztürk is among the keynote speakers at the conference.

Also in attendance as speakers will be the Director General C4I of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Junaid Ahmed Siddiqui; Gen. Abidin Ünal, commander of the Air Force Combat and Air Defense Command of the Turkish Air Forces; Gen. Francisco Javier Garcia Arnaiz, Spanish Air Forces Chief of Staff; Lt. Gen. Jean-Jacques Borel, commander of Air Defense and Air Operations of the French Air Forces; and Gen. Robin Rand, commander of the U.S. Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Robert S. Tripp, Senior Management Scientist at the RAND Corporation, is one of the speakers in the session about the sustainment of combat air and space power.

Col. Prof. John A. Olsen of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, also a visiting professor of Operational Art and Tactics at Swedish National Defense College, will deliver the closing remarks at the conference.

Light-2015 underway in Konya

Meanwhile, Light-2015 international search-and-rescue exercises have begun at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, with the participation of different components from Azerbaijan, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Turkish Cyprus and the U.S., in addition to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

The exercises, which kicked off on March 30, will continue until April 10.