The Turkish Naval Forces began an 11-day exercise on Tuesday. The navy will showcase its skills and inventory in the Black Sea, the Marmara, Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. One hundred ships, eight submarines, 39 aircraft, 16 helicopters, 28 unmanned aerial vehicles and seven unmanned surface vehicles are participating in the exercise.
The Sea Wolf II exercise comes a few months after Sea Wolf I and is one of the biggest of its kind involving the Turkish navy.
Briefing reporters about the exercise on Monday, Brig. Adm. Kaan Türkkan, who heads the Naval Operations Department of the Turkish Naval Forces, said the purpose of the exercise was to assess the efficiency of naval forces, raise the preparedness level of military personnel and improve the ability of forces in multi-threat environments. Some 15,000 military personnel participated in the exercise.
Türkkan said Marlin and Albatros, which were recently added to the arsenal of the naval forces, will make their debut in the exercise. Unmanned surface vehicles are developed by Turkish defense companies in a conglomerate led by the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB). The platform, approximately 15 meters (49 feet) long, has critical capabilities related to surface warfare, underwater warfare, electronic warfare (EW), and asymmetrical operations. MARLIN, which embodies the capabilities of gunboats, can even be a naval warfare platform that can be used more flexibly than gunboats at some points.
The Marlin stands out as a new-generation autonomous surface sea platform with a 15-meter-long aluminum hull design. It can reach a speed of 36 knots and maneuver and perform missions even in extremely rough sea conditions. Taking its name from a fish species that can move quickly in the open seas, Marlin distinguishes itself from its peers with its superior technology and useful loads.
Besides being equipped with electro-optics, communication, navigation sensors and autonomy-mission computers developed by Aselsan, the Marlin AUSV stands out as the first unmanned surface vehicle with electronic warfare capability in the world, with the Aselsan original electronic warfare suite integrated into the platform. With this configuration, the AUSV has also taken part in a NATO exercise, becoming Türkiye’s first such platform to be represented in the alliance’s military drill.
Albatros is a kamikaze sea drone boasting a high level of autonomy, capable of navigating and performing tasks in swarm formation independently of central control. The approximately 7-meter-long vehicle features a speed of over 40 knots, a cruising range of over 200 nautical miles and a significant payload capacity.
Forty-three ships participating in the exercise will visit 27 ports across Türkiye, including one day after the end of the exercise, which coincides with the national holiday Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.
Türkkan said the exercise will involve surface firing drills, air defense drills, artillery exercises, flare and rocket drills, and electronic warfare exercises.
In 2023, the exercise was postponed when neighboring Greece canceled a similar exercise, part of a positive atmosphere between two countries that have been at odds over maritime sovereignty issues.