The DENİZKURDU-I/2025 Exercise, one of the largest planned drills conducted by the Turkish Naval Forces, witnessed historic moments during its Distinguished Observer Day. As part of Türkiye’s Blue Homeland doctrine, the exercise served as a major demonstration of the nation’s growing capabilities in unmanned systems and naval platforms. In the Eastern Mediterranean phase of the drill, Türkiye’s first UCAV carrier, TCG Anadolu, played a central operational role.

Two Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs took off consecutively from the deck of TCG Anadolu, marking a significant milestone in Türkiye’s naval aviation history. The first aircraft, Bayraktar TB3 PT-1R, carried out a dual salvo strike using two ROKETSAN-manufactured MAM-L smart munitions. Both munitions hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy, and the UCAV safely returned to the ship’s deck, showcasing the operational maturity of the UCAV-carrier concept.

The second UCAV, Bayraktar TB3 PT-4, launched from the same deck and engaged its target using a more powerful ROKETSAN-produced MAM-T munition. This strike too resulted in a successful target elimination, after which TB3 PT-4 continued its mission by flying to Dalaman. These consecutive launches and precision strikes once again demonstrated TCG Anadolu’s seamless integration with UCAV platforms.

Simultaneously, the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV took off from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to support the exercise. Equipped with three different types of national munitions — ASELSAN’s TOLUN, ROKETSAN’s TEBER-82 guidance kit, and Baykar’s KEMANKEŞ-1 mini cruise missile — AKINCI hit all three assigned targets with full precision. This operation highlighted AKINCI’s capability to employ multiple munitions in a single mission and reinforced its strategic role in long-range strike operations. After completing its tasks, the UCAV flew to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdağ Çorlu.

This year’s phase of the DENİZKURDU-I/2025 Exercise demonstrated the increasing strength of the Turkish Naval Forces and Türkiye’s advanced UCAV ecosystem. The live-fire missions conducted over the Blue Homeland once again affirmed Türkiye’s leadership in integrated air-naval defense technologies.