Domestic systems stood out in the Mavi Vatan-2026 Exercise. With the destruction of a kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle by the TB-3 UCAV taking off from TCG Anadolu, and the launch of the indigenous AKYA torpedo from the submarine Sakarya, the Turkish Armed Forces demonstrated their operational strength at sea. In addition, they showed a high level of readiness.
The Ministry of National Defense (MoND) announced that the Mavi Vatan-2026 Exercise, conducted simultaneously in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean between April 3–9, has been successfully completed. Moreover, the exercise was carried out to evaluate the operational command and control effectiveness of the Naval Forces Command. It was also conducted to test interoperability procedures with other force commands.
A First with TB-3 UCAV and AKYA Torpedo
At the most critical phases of the exercise, products of the Turkish defense industry demonstrated their operational capabilities for the first time:
TB-3 UCAV and KUSV: The TB-3 UCAV, which took off from TCG Anadolu, successfully destroyed a kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle (KUSV) for the first time.
AKYA Torpedo: The domestically produced AKYA Heavyweight Torpedo was fired for the first time from the submarine Sakarya.
Within the scope of the exercise, pre-operation training, live-fire drills, logistical integration activities, and operational training in a multi-threat environment were successfully carried out.
Broad Participation and Joint Operational Capability
In addition to the Naval Forces, the exercise also included the Land Forces, Air Force, and the Coast Guard Command. Furthermore, operational data shared from the exercise are as follows:
Personnel: 15,000
Number of Ships: 120
Aircraft: 50
Command Staff on Board TCG Anadolu
The Live-Fire Phase of the exercise was observed from TCG ANADOLU by Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, accompanied by Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Air Force General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, Commander of the Land Forces General Metin Tokel, Commander of the Fleet Admiral Kadir Yıldız, General Manager of MKE Inc. İlhami Keleş, and General Manager of ROKETSAN Murat İkinci.
In its statement following the exercise, the Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the Turkish Naval Forces will continue to strengthen its determination and deterrence in protecting rights and interests across the world’s seas with its modern assets.
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Sourcce: C4Defence– MoND
