Operation Tigris Sentinel

[Jay]

OPERATION TIGRIS SENTINEL
Security Classification: TOP SECRET

SITUATION REPORT

---

OVERVIEW The Republic of Türkiye will conduct an advanced drone reconnaissance mission over Kurdish territory to identify and assess PKK targets and hideouts. To enhance the effectiveness of this operation, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along with other ISR assets. The National Security Council has approved the deployment of the TSK ISR and reconnaissance forces to Iraq. This coordinated effort will involve close cooperation between the UAVs, Turkish Intelligence units, and ground-based reconnaissance teams. The operation aims to gather actionable intelligence, provide timely updates to support tactical decision-making and ensure the safety and security of our operations in the area.

---

BELLIGERENTS

BLUFOR	OPFOR
Republic of Türkiye	Kurdistan Worker's Party HPG YJA-STAR Syrian Arab Republic Iraq Socialist Republic of Thailand (Alleged Support)[1]

---

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

---

Active Patrol:

• Six General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcon fighter jets will maintain continuous air patrol over the restricted area, ready to respond to any aerial threats or incursions from neighboring airforces seeking to disrupt or intercept the reconnaissance mission.
  • x 4 AIM-120 AMRAAM
  • x 2 AIM-9 Sidewinder
• Five Baykar Bayraktar TB2 will conduct reconnaissance missions over Kurdish-related areasand capture pictures, weapon depots, troop movements, government facilities
• Baykar Bayraktar TB2 will conduct reconnaissance missions over Kurdistan and capture pictures, weapon depots, troop movements, government facilities
• Boeing 737 AWE&C Unarmed Active Patrol: Scanning for air and ground threats to operation and relaying real-time information over datalink to Command Center Diyarbakır Air Base.

Standby Readiness:

• An additional eight F-16C/D Block 52 jets are on high alert at Diyarbakır Air Base prepared for immediate deployment if necessary.
  • x 6 AIM-120 AMRAAM
• Five Baykar Bayraktar TB2 on standby to replace aircraft after 24 hours
• Four Baykar Bayraktar TB2 are on standby to replace aircraft after 27 hours.

Active Force
[6] F-16C/D Fighter Jets. 132 Air Force Squadron
[6] Pilots, Turkish Air Force
[1] Boeing 737 AEW&C. 211 Air Force Squadron
[10] Crew, Turkish Air Force
[4] Baykar Bayraktar TB2
[12] Crew, Turkish Land Forces
[5] Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı
[15] Crew, Turkish Land Forces

Stand By Force
[8] F-16C/D Fighters. 182 Air Force Squadron
[8] Pilots, Turkish Air Force
[1] Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı [armed]
[3] Crew, Turkish Land Forces
[4] Baykar Bayraktar TB2
[12] Crew, Turkish Land Forces
[5] Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı [unarmed]
[15] Crew, Turkish Land Forces

---

CONFIDENTIAL MISSION OPERATION GİZLİLİKLE GÖREV OPERASYONU​ This document is classified and intended solely for official use within the Turkish Armed Forces. It contains sensitive operational details and is not to be viewed, shared, or disseminated outside of authorized personnel. Unauthorized access or distribution of this document is strictly prohibited. Please ensure the return of this document to the Turkish General Staff Building, located at Bakanlıklar, Çankaya, Ankara.

SECRET​ Operation Parameters​ Mission Planning: Objective Definition: Identify specific targets, such as armored vehicles, infantry training camps, logistical dumps, and other strategic points of interest. Area of Operations: Iraqi Kurdistan and Northeastern Syria Pre-Mission Preparation: Drone Selection: Baykar Bayraktar Akınc & Baykar Bayraktar TB2 Equipment Check: Ensure all drone systems, sensors, and communication equipment are operational and calibrated. Perform pre-flight inspections. Flight Plan: Execution: Surveillance Operations: Armored Vehicles: Identify vehicle types, movements, and operational status. Infantry Training Camps: Monitor known or suspected training areas. Look for signs of large gatherings, training activities, and equipment storage. Logistical Dumps: Identify and assess logistical support sites including supply depots, fuel storage, and munitions caches. Note the quantity and type of supplies. Other Targets: Look for additional high-value targets or irregular activities that could indicate insurgent operations. Data Collection and Analysis: Real-Time Monitoring Reporting: Detailed Report: Compile a comprehensive report including: Target Identification: Detailed descriptions and locations of identified targets. Imagery and Data: Annotated images, video footage, and sensor data. Threat Assessment: Analysis of the potential threat level and implications for counter-insurgency operations. Post-Mission Procedures: Equipment Maintenance: Perform post-flight checks and maintenance on drone systems to ensure readiness for future missions. Data Storage: Securely store all collected data and reports in accordance with operational security protocols.

END OF DOCUMENT BELGENİN SONU​

---

CAMPAIGN REGISTER

Tigris Sentinel – Phase I: Air Patrol Establishment Active Air Cover	Deploy six F-16C/D Block 52 fighters on continuous combat air patrol over the restricted AO; maintain armed overwatch (4× AIM-120 AMRAAM, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder per airframe) to intercept or deter hostile aerial incursions threatening the reconnaissance mission	Active
Tigris Sentinel – Phase II: AWE&C Surveillance Wide-Area ISR	Operate Boeing 737 AWE&C conducting continuous air and ground threat scanning across the AO and relay real-time targeting and situational awareness data via datalink to Command Center at Diyarbakır Air Base	Active
Tigris Sentinel – Phase III: Drone Reconnaissance UAV ISR Operations	Deploy five Bayraktar TB2 UAVs over Kurdish-related areas to conduct systematic imagery collection and surveillance; identify armored vehicles, infantry training camps, logistical dumps, munitions caches, fuel storage, troop movements, and other high-value PKK targets across Iraqi Kurdistan	Completed
Tigris Sentinel – Phase IV: Data Collection & Analysis Intelligence Processing	Conduct real-time monitoring and compile comprehensive intelligence reports from UAV feeds; produce annotated imagery, video footage, and sensor data packages; deliver threat assessments detailing target locations, operational status, and counter-insurgency implications to tactical decision-makers	Active
Tigris Sentinel – Phase V: Standby Alert — Fighter Reserve QRA Readiness	Maintain eight additional F-16C/D Block 52 jets on high alert at Diyarbakır Air Base (6× AIM-120 AMRAAM, loadout configured for immediate scramble); ready for rapid deployment to reinforce air patrol or respond to escalating aerial threats to the operation	Standby
Tigris Sentinel – Phase VI: UAV Rotation — Wave 1 24-Hour Relief	Launch five standby Bayraktar TB2 UAVs to relieve active reconnaissance drones upon completion of their 24-hour sortie cycle; ensure continuous ISR coverage over the AO with no operational gap during handoff	Active
Tigris Sentinel – Phase VII: UAV Rotation — Wave 2 27-Hour Relief	Deploy four additional standby Bayraktar TB2 UAVs at the 27-hour mark to replace Wave 1 relief aircraft and sustain uninterrupted drone reconnaissance coverage through subsequent operational periods	Standby
Tigris Sentinel – Phase VIII: Post-Mission Procedures Recovery & Exploitation	Conduct post-flight maintenance checks on all returned UAV and manned aircraft systems; securely store all collected imagery, sensor data, and intelligence reports per operational security protocols; assess equipment readiness for follow-on mission tasking	Pending

---

 

[Jay]

SECRET

The dim glow of the control room’s screens cast ghostly reflections on the faces of the drone operators. The air was heavy with the scent of strong Turkish coffee. The scent gave some flavor to the room, casting against the somber mood within the confines of the air-conditioned bunker. Mehmet sat at his station, eyes flicking from the array of monitors to the digital map projected on the large screen in front of him. The room was a maze of consoles, each humming softly, filled with the quiet clacking of keyboards and the occasional, distant hum of drones taking off and landing. His fingers moved the controls, adjusting them as he flew over Turkish airspace towards Iraq. Beside him, Ahmet adjusted his headset, the faint crackle of static could be heard out. His eyes were still fresh and his gaze remained sharp and focused as he got comfortable for the long mission.

In the corner, Emre, the youngest of the group, was still setting up his equipment. He moved with a mix of nervous energy his hands shaking slightly as he connected the cables. The lead operator, Cem, stood over the group, “Our mission is to observe gentlemen. Like hawks, we will scour above the skies and watch. If Sherko is in bed with his Wife I want to know.” He said, gaining a few laughs. "It’ll be a long night. Get yourselves ready and remember what this mission is. Observation. If you see something, no matter how small, report it. We’ll give it to the other teams to decide what matters. Let's go get these dogs.”

As the men sat at their stations, the only sounds that broke the silence were the occasional beeps of the control systems and the murmur of voices. As the final preparations were completed, Mehmet adjusted the camera feed, the live video stream flickering into view. The landscape below was a patchwork of earth and sky as the drones took off from their base at Diyarbakır Air Base.

As the drones ascended into the sky, the operators were acutely aware of the importance of their responsibilities. The screens glowed brighter, as the mission had continued, and the operators settled into their seats.

The control room was now a mosaic of flickering lights and shifting shadows as the drone cameras swept over the rugged terrain below. Mehmet Ahmet and the others were glued to their screens displaying live feeds of the landscape. As they flew over southern Türkiye they began to take down notes on various targets of interest.

Ahmet’s gaze was fixed on the screen, his eyes narrowing as he tracked a small group moving stealthily through the terrain. “There, Mehmet. You see that? The group of three, moving toward the valley?”

Mehmet leaned in, his expression thoughtful as he adjusted the camera’s zoom. “Yes, I see them. They’re just walking through a valley…they’re shepherds, you idiot.”

Ahmet sighed and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. “You know, I always find it ironic how our mission is like a game of spies. We’re just not cool and don’t look like the Teskilat boys.”

Mehmet chuckled, his eyes still focused on the monitors. “Ahmet, you’re starting to sound like one of those old fools from old Turkish soap operas. Next thing I know, you’ll be quoting lyrics from Ertugul.”

Ahmet grinned, though his eyes remained serious. “Okay, how about these guys? Look. The lorry that is driving.”

Mehmet looked at his screen. “A lorry really?” He paused, his gaze shifting to the screen as he spotted a new movement. “Wait I also have the same lorry coming into view.”

Ahmet was a bit concerned as he looked at his screen and asked “white with blue trim.”

Mehmet responded. “White with blue trim.”

Ahmet would hit a button prompting a female officer to come forth. He looked at her when he said, “The vehicle seemed out of place, moving cautiously and taking winding paths through the rocky terrain. The same vehicle with the same pattern. Maybe they’re using the trucks to move equipment or men, the tarp is covering the cargo.”

The Lady nodded and had the information passed down to other units to keep an eye out. Turkish Gendarmerie would be put on notice in Southeastern Türkiye. As they continued to monitor the movements on the screen, the banter lightened the mood, if only briefly. All the pilots would monitor screens as they surveyed Northern Iraq and Southeastern Türkiye.

The spacious interior of the AWACS aircraft was filled with the soft hum of its massive engines and the rhythmic beeps of various electronic systems. The array of screens and consoles shifted with the changing data inputs.

The cockpit door opened briefly as the senior pilot, Major Berk, walked into the body of the plane. He smiled and gave a simple head nod to the crew. He walked over to the center of the plane where he leaned over to discuss a minor adjustment with Captain Elif. Captain Elif sat at the central operations console, her eyes were fixed on the primary radar screen. The rotating radar dish on the AWACS provided a wide-angle view of the airspace, and Elif’s fingers moved over the controls, adjusting as she monitored the airspace over the area of operations.

Beside her, Lieutenant Murat was focused on tracking multiple aircraft on his screen, civilian aircraft from Syria, Iraq, Iran, and other international airlines. His headset crackled softly as he received updates from the F-16s patrolling alongside them as he relayed any important information.

"Sector looks clear, Ma’am," Murat reported, adding that "there is no new activity in that zone."

Elif nodded, "Understood. Keep an eye out for that former Russian Naval Base. We don’t want a surprise for our teams over Iraq.”

Berk leaned over before speaking softly to Elif. “I heard there is Iranian Kebab on the menu for this flight.” He said with a light chuckle. “What’s the weather looking like?”

Elif looked back at him as she rolled her eyes. “I wish. I could do with an Iranian Kebab.”

Berk cut her off saying, “I know a good place on…”

Elif shook her head. “As if,” she said looking back at her screen. “Weather is clear so far. No expected showers.”

Berk looked at the screen. “No Iraqi showers?”

Elif shook her head again. “Unlikely. We’re waiting to see if the Iraqis scramble anything. I doubt it though. They can’t tell if we’re birds or planes.” She said with a hearty laugh as Berk just smiled and walked back.

As Berk returned to his seat, Aylin’s headset crackled with a new transmission. “Mother Hen, this is Eagle Flight. Any updates on the weather?”

Lieutenant Aylin monitored the communication frequencies, her headset pressed tightly against her ears. Two F-16s came into view through the small window. As they had probably gotten bored giving a wave with the tips of their planes, Aylin laughed as she took a photo using her camera. The room settled into a quiet rhythm once more, the soft hum of equipment and occasional keystrokes filling the silence.

Aylin quickly adjusted her frequency. “Eagle Flight this is Mother Hen no activity on the radar. The weather is clear. We’re tracking a few low-priority targets, but nothing immediate. Will update you on any weather changes.”

“Copy that, Morther Hen,” Eagle Flight responded. “Eagle Flight out.”

Mehmet and Ahmet back on the ground returned to their duties, their conversation drifting back to the task at hand. Back in the spacious interior of the AWACS aircraft, a cacophony of beeps and soft hums came from the maze of screens. Captain Elif, seated at the central operations console, monitored the primary radar screen as she looked for signs of trouble. Lieutenant Murat next to her continued to watch civilian aircraft to make sure they were following the no-fly-zone over their operating area. Major Berk continued to joke with the F-16 Pilots that flew next to him, stretching his legs and getting up as they sat in the relatively cramped interior of their planes.

Current Situation | patrol patterns for each drone group, where loiter fighters are located, and AWE&C patrol path.​

 

[Jay]

SECRET

By hour eighteen, Mehmet had stopped checking the clock. The TB2s ran in overlapping orbits. When one reached bingo fuel, another was already on station. The handoffs were logged and barely noticed. The room stayed quiet.

By the fourth hour of their orbit over the Qandil mountain range, the drones had settled into their rotation like a second hand on a clock. Mehmet had long since finished his second coffee. The cup sat cold beside him.

"Dagger-ISR, this is Sentinel 3." The voice crackled through the headset of Corporal Serdar, the youngest man in the room. "I've got movement on Grid 4-Tango. Request secondary eyes."

Mehmet rolled his chair over. The feed showed a mountain road, loose stone, a thin track cut by years of foot traffic. Three figures moving northeast, single file. The middle one carried something long across his back, balanced at the shoulder.

"That's not a hiking trail." Mehmet said flatly. He zoomed in further. "You see the one in the middle? That's not a walking stick."

Serdar was already annotating. "RPG tube. Possible. I'm marking it probable."

Mehmet watched for a moment.

"Mark it." He said.

Serdar annotated it. 0312 local. Three MAMs. Possible man-portable AT. Direction: northeast toward 7-Kilo. He flagged it for Sentinel 2 to pick up the trail.

Mehmet went back to his own screen.

He would not follow them himself. Sentinel 2 was already repositioning to pick up their trail. The drones handed off targets the way relay runners passed a baton—smooth, practiced, no gaps in coverage.

Across the room, Operator Bülent was watching a valley he had been staring at for six hours. It was a wide bowl of land, ringed by limestone scarps, with a dry riverbed cutting through its center. Twice in the last four hours he had seen figures move between a cluster of outbuildings near the valley's northern wall. Since then, nothing.

At 0304, a truck appeared from the west without headlights.

It stopped in front of the larger building. Eleven minutes passed. Then four men came out of a low doorway and began loading the bed. They worked fast and without talking. A tarpaulin went over the load. The truck sat for another two minutes, then pulled forward and turned south.

"Cem."

Cem walked over and watched the feed. The truck was already on the main track.

"Same tarp?" Cem asked.

"Same pattern. White with blue trim."

Cem watched the truck's heading. "Follow it until it stops."

Bülent exhaled slowly. "Cem." He called across the room without raising his voice. "You're going to want to see this."

Cem walked over and stood behind him. He watched the feed in silence. The men had covered the truck bed with a dark tarpaulin, the same dark tarpaulin that had caught Ahmet's eye on the road two nights before.

"Mark it," Cem said. "Vehicle, load time, crew count." He straightened and looked at the larger display at the front of the room. "What's the heading when it moves?"

"If it stays on the same road it's been using? Southeast." Bülent responded. "There's a secondary junction at Grid 9-Echo. Either they go towards the valley camp, or they cross into Turkish territory via the Habur."

Cem rested his hands on the back of the chair and said nothing for a moment. "We follow it until it stops. Then we pass it to the Gendarmerie and let them deal with it if it crosses."

Bülent was already repositioning the drone. The truck, oblivious, turned its headlights on as it pulled onto the main track. It did not know it was being watched. It never did.

---​

Sergeant Emir Demirci worked at the rear of the aircraft. The bay was narrow, lit by monitors, and smelled of the instant noodles and coffee. Two screens. One live feed, routed from all five Sentinels in rotation. One database. The crew called it the Megazeka as a play on the blue tint the system gave off.

It had started as a grid overlay with a handful of flagged coordinates. Now it was fifty-one points, connected by lines that represented roads, foot trails, and the movement patterns she had inferred from watching the same valleys for seventy-two hours. A a personnel estimate where applicable, and a timestamp on the last imagery.

Emir added a new one. Valley Camp Zeta. Grid 4-November. 14-17 personnel visible. Small arms confirmed. Possible mortar position, NW corner. Two ingress/egress: eastern ridge trail, dry riverbed. Vehicle-capable: riverbed only. Elevation 1,240m. He tagged it and moved on to other points collected by the drones and new ones to guide them to signal and electronic information they were gathering.

Captain Elif came back from the main console and stood behind her. She looked at the screen.

"What is the origin?" Elif asked.

Emir pointed to the northwest cluster. "This one. Inbound traffic, no corresponding outbound foot movement. Things go in and don't come back out the same way. The drone footage..." He said pulling it up on the datalink, "Has clusters of three moving into the mountain and for several hours nothing until a different group comes in." He pointed at the screen. "Then the original group leaves."

Elif said nothing for a moment.

"Flag it red. Send it to targeting." Elif said as she walked away to another monitor. Her workstation was a controlled catastrophe of printed satellite stills, sticky note annotations, and two monitors running simultaneousl, one displaying live drone feeds routed from the different drones, the other running the central database that was becoming, hour by hour.

As Elif looked at the data base that now contained a number of camps, caches, track junctions, water sources. The lines between them told the story of how the PKK moved and resupplied, how its parts communicated and depended on one another.

She called over another crew member, Pinar. Looking at her she pointed at the screen. "What did your datapoint here outside Mosul have?"

"We think there is a processing facility here." Pınar circled what looked like a warehouse on the northwestern edge of the map. "It's the only location that has inbound traffic. Goods go in through a lorry. Then they bring in motorbikes that carry smaller parcels. They're distributing from it." She paused. "Which means if you hit it, you don't just hit it. You starve everything downstream."

Elif let out a breath. "Sounds good. I'd send it to intelligence for further analysis since it could also be regular commercial activity." Elif looked back at the live feed. "Yeah I think intelligence is a better place to start. Pınar nodded and went back to her station.

In the forward bay of the AWACS, Lieutenant Murat was running a SIGINT thread based on radar intercepts from an ELINT facility in Ağrı. Short transmissions, non-standard frequency, irregular intervals—consistent enough to be deliberate, brief enough to avoid triangulation. Murat had been handed the intercept location coordinates: a six-figure grid that placed the transmission source on a hillside above a small plateau.

He had passed the coordinates to Sentinel 4. Sentinel 4 had spent ninety minutes doing nothing but watching that hillside. Rocky ground, sparse scrub, the shadows of boulders. But then, shortly before 0200 local, a figure had appeared at what looked like a natural fold in the terrain. He had stood there for four minutes, made what appeared to be a hand gesture toward the valley below, then disappeared back into the fold.

Murat pulled the coordinates, attached the drone footage timestamp, and forwarded the file to the ELINT station and Pınar with a single note Probable command position. Hardened or semi-hardened underground. SIGINT and visual corroboration.

Pınar looked at the file when it landed in her queue, read the note, and added a new node to the Mindmap. She used a different color for it.

Cem stood at the wall display. He looked at it for a while. "Wrap it up gents," he said. "The next shift is going to take over for us."

He heard a disgruntled yes sir across the trailer. Outside, the air was warm and sunny. The sun had just cleared the ridge. Cem stepped out of the trailer and lit a cigarette, pulling his jacket closed with his free hand. The flight line was already moving ground crews walking the perimeter, a fuel truck idling near the hardstand.

Mehmet came out behind him. Then Ahmet. Then Serdar, who was still pulling on his jacket.

The replacement crew was already waiting at the base of the steps. Four of them, fresh-faced, thermal mugs in hand. Their team lead, a stocky warrant officer named Demir, gave Cem a nod.

"Anything hot?" Demir asked.

"Northwest cluster," Cem said. "Sentinel 2 is tailing a truck. Should reach the junction inside the hour." He took a drag. "Don't lose it. We got a good chunk but still a lot left to monitor."

Demir nodded and went up the steps.

Cem stood there a moment longer. Mehmet stopped beside him. "Food?"

Cem dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

"Yeah," he said, and walked toward the mess.