Stating that the Naval Forces Command has carried out a total of 88 exercises, 20 national and 68 international, in the last two years, Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu said, "While our naval elements resolutely protect our rights and interests in the Blue Homeland, they successfully carry out their duties in the Black Sea, off the coast of Somalia, in Libya and Qatar, and in the surveillance of the Senegalese maritime area in order to contribute to regional and global security. One of the important activities to improve the operational readiness of our naval forces is Exercise Sea Kurdu-1 2026 was carried out in the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean between 20-25 September.
The aim of the exercise is to improve operational readiness, dispatch and management effectiveness and interoperability. A total of 14 thousand personnel participated in this exercise, mainly from the Naval Forces Command, and in support from the Land Forces Command, Air Force Command and Coast Guard Command. "The high performance exhibited in the exercise, which was carried out with the participation of 100 floating elements and 50 aircraft, once again demonstrated the level reached by the Turkish Armed Forces," he said.
"Cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence-supported programs were used effectively within the scope of the exercise. Unmanned marine vehicles and UAVs and newly developed underwater and surface platforms also took part in various stages of the exercise. Actual weapon firings and Surface Operation, Submarine Defense Operation, Mine Countermeasures Operation and Amphibious Operation training were carried out. Today, also within the scope of the exercise's distinguished observer day activities; with national and local strategic ammunition launched from our national and local ships, We all witnessed the targets being neutralized with full accuracy.
Now we use manned and unmanned systems together in our seas. In this context, Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA and FPV drone demonstrations were made, and an attack on the surface target was carried out with the PİRANA Kamikaze Unmanned Marine Vehicle produced by MKE. "The importance of such unmanned systems will increase in the future, and these systems have reshaped and continue to reshape the concept of naval operations."
"IT IS TARGET TO PRODUCE 10 MILLION UAVS IN 10 YEARS"
Stating that the exercises are a concrete indicator of the developing opportunities and capabilities of the Naval Forces, Bayraktaroğlu said, "UAVs with vertical take-off and landing capabilities, kamikaze İDAs and unmanned underwater vehicles will take their place as high value-added capabilities that increase the capabilities of our Turkish Armed Forces and Naval Forces in the future combat environment in order to protect our rights and interests in our Blue Homeland.
Production work supporting this understanding continues. In the studies carried out by Turkey in this context, it is aimed to produce five million UAVs in five years and ten million UAVs in ten years. The production capacity of our defense industry is at a level that can meet this target. "These activities have been a concrete indicator of the constantly developing opportunities and capabilities of our Naval Forces," he said.
"OUR NAVAL FORCES WILL TAKE THEIR CAPABILITIES MUCH FURTHER IN THE BLUE HOMELAND"
Stating that the operation concept of the Naval Forces will be based on the combined use of manned and unmanned systems, Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu said, "Our future operation concept will be based on the use of manned and unmanned systems in a way that feeds each other. In this context, with the implementation of our air defense warfare destroyer Kocatepe, the National Submarine Atılay and the National Aircraft Carrier projects, whose design and construction processes we follow closely, our Naval Forces will be able to combat all kinds of threats that may come from the seas in the Blue Homeland and beyond." "It will further enhance our capabilities to perform tasks such as protecting against threats, protecting the political, military and economic interests of the Republic of Turkey, supporting peace, humanitarian aid and evacuation," he said.
"WE ARE IN THE FIRST PLACE"
Tatlıoğlu stated that the strong cooperation established with the defense industry played an important role in developing the power of the Naval Forces and said, "Our Naval Forces have been protecting our rights and interests in the Blue Homeland with determination and determination for nearly a thousand years and still continue to do so. The security of our territorial waters and airspace is ensured by the effective use of our manned and unmanned systems in accordance with international law. We have all seen the effects of this today. The strong cooperation established in our defense industry plays an important role in the development of this power. With the largest number of warships at the same time in the world." "We are among the first countries that design, build and maintain with national resources, and we are really proud of this," he said.
