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Türkiye's future naval operations will be based on manned and unmanned systems working together, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercument Tatlioglu said during the Denizkurdu-I/2026 exercise's distinguished observer day.
Speaking aboard TCG Anadolu at Aksaz, Tatlioglu said a kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle (K-USV) destroyed its target with high precision, while helicopters and armed drones sank others.
Tatlioglu said the exercise tested a hybrid model in which manned and unmanned systems operate together through network-centric capability. Kamikaze one-way attack systems set to enter the navy's inventory were also tested jointly, he said.
"Our future operations concept will be based on the use of manned and unmanned systems in a way that they feed one another," Tatlioglu said.
The exercise was carried out with 100 ships, 50 aircraft and 14,000 personnel in the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
Tatlioglu said three issues stood out during the exercise.
"First, operations were conducted for the joint and integrated use of unmanned and autonomous systems with manned systems. Second, a hybrid model in which manned and unmanned systems will operate together through network-centric operational capability was tested," he said.
"Kamikaze one-way attack unmanned surface, underwater and aerial systems that will enter our inventory were tested by being used jointly with one another. Third, our digital command control, communications and link capabilities that enable rapid data flow were used," Tatlioglu added.
The Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle carried out a high-precision attack on its target and destroyed it, Tatlioglu said.
"Cannon fire from our helicopters, CIRIT and Hellfire guided missile firings and MAM-C and MAM-L munition firings from our armed UAVs were successfully carried out, and the targets were sunk," he said.
"We are adding to our inventory UAVs, in which our country holds a leading position in the world in the field of unmanned systems, unmanned marine vehicles that will serve in every dimension of naval warfare and kamikaze unmanned marine vehicles, and we are testing in our exercises the tactics we have developed to use these assets jointly," Tatlioglu said.
Directed from a command-and-control console on a Tuzla-class patrol vessel, Pirana struck a surface target for the first time with a 100-kilogram live warhead, according to a statement from Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corp. (MKE), which developed the vehicle.
Pirana can operate alone or in a swarm, and its low radar cross-section design and special coating reduce the risk of detection. The vehicle can be remotely controlled or operate autonomously via radio frequency and satellite communication, reaching speeds above 40 knots with a mission range exceeding 200 nautical miles, the statement said.
The exercise also featured the first use of Turkish drone giant Baykar's newly introduced Kalkan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a military drill.
A target identified by the aircraft was destroyed by Pirana.
The exercise, which began off Aksaz near Marmaris, involves the Turkish Naval Forces as well as land, air and coast guard units. It aims to test joint operational capabilities and improve decision-making in a multi-threat environment.
Activities included mine-hunting operations, amphibious landings on Yilancik Island and a medical evacuation. Turkish naval special forces, known as SAT teams, carried out assaults from the sea and from helicopters as part of the scenario.
A maritime patrol aircraft also deployed flares during the drills.
Tatlioglu said the navy's major shipbuilding projects would carry its capabilities further.
"In this context, with the realization of our Tepe-class air defense destroyer Kocatepe, whose design and construction processes we are closely following, the national submarine Atilay and our national aircraft carrier projects, our naval forces will carry much further their means and capabilities to protect the homeland against all kinds of threats from the sea in the Blue Homeland and beyond, to protect the political, military and economic interests of the Republic of Türkiye, to support peace and to carry out humanitarian aid, evacuation and (other) missions," he said.
The first phase of the Denizkurdu-I/2026 observer-day activities concluded with a submarine surfacing.
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