Meanwhile, Türkiye, for the first time, used combat drones within the framework of an amphibious landing operation scenario during NATO’s largest exercise of the year, Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu said on Wednesday.
For the first time, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) were used within the framework of an amphibious landing operation scenario during the NATO Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, Tatlioglu said at a press conference during the maritime phase of NATO Steadfast Dart 2026, hosted by Germany at the Putlos training and exercise area.
Tatlioglu observed the exercise, together with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Chief of the German General Staff Carsten Breuer, and Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum General Ingo Gerhartz.
Mentioning that Steadfast Dart 2026 is NATO’s largest exercise of the year with the participation of more than 10,000 personnel, Tatlioglu said: “Within the scope of Steadfast Dart 26, the Turkish Naval Forces have deployed the Anadolu Turkish Naval Task Group, consisting of approximately 1,500 personnel and possessing multi-purpose operational capability, to the Baltic Sea.”
He added that the Anadolu Turkish Naval Task Group includes the multi-purpose amphibious ship TCG Anadolu, the logistics support and combat support ship TCG Derya, the first domestically produced frigate TCG Istanbul, the first frigate modernised with national capabilities TCG Orucreis, an amphibious marine battalion, amphibious landing vehicles, attack and utility helicopters and Bayraktar TB-3 UCAV systems.
Emphasising that the exercise holds two important aspects for them, he said: “First, the Turkish Naval Forces are demonstrating a power projection capability at this scale and level within the allied framework. For the first time in an amphibious operation, we are using our UCAVs to soften the landing zone.”