NATO officials have praised Türkiye’s major contribution to the alliance’s largest exercise of the year, highlighting the strong presence of Turkish forces and the performance of advanced drone capabilities.
Col. Matthias Boehnke, spokesperson for NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum, said Türkiye was the leading contributor to the Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, which is being conducted in Germany and the Baltic region.
“Türkiye is the nation providing the largest contribution to this exercise. The core forces and a significant portion of the units come from Türkiye,” Boehnke said during a media and distinguished visitors day at the Putlos training area on the Baltic Sea.
The Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, NATO's largest of the year, tests the rapid deployment and integration of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF). Running from January to March 2026, it involves around 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.
The exercise is organized by Joint Force Command Brunssum, one of NATO’s three operational joint commands alongside Naples and Norfolk, and aims to test the alliance’s rapid deployment and interoperability capabilities.
Boehnke also noted the significance of the deployment of the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, which is operating far from its usual area for the first time.
“The large vessel you see behind us is Anadolu. This marks one of the first missions in which the ship has deployed beyond the Mediterranean, operating here in the Baltic Sea,” he said.
The maritime phase included an amphibious landing operation involving Spanish units and a large contingent of Turkish forces, demonstrating NATO’s ability to conduct complex joint operations.
NATO officials also highlighted the debut of Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB3 drone on the international stage during the exercise. The drone’s ability to operate from TCG Anadolu was described as a key capability.
“I believe its performance has been highly successful,” Boehnke said. “Unmanned systems are central to modern warfare. They are vital for reconnaissance, operational effectiveness and, ultimately, for saving lives.”
He added that the integration of drone operations with a naval platform significantly enhanced the overall value of the exercise.
Addressing reports about Ukrainian participation, Boehnke clarified that Ukrainian troops were not part of the Allied Reaction Force taking part in the drills, which consists primarily of Turkish, Italian and Spanish units.
However, Ukrainian personnel were invited separately to share their battlefield experience, particularly lessons learned from drone warfare and counter-drone operations.
“They are not participants in the exercise itself,” Boehnke said. “But they have been invited to present their operational experience and insights into modern warfare.”
Fifteen ships and 2,600 personnel from Türkiye, France, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain participated in the operation.
Türkiye joined NATO on Feb. 18, 1952. The alliance was founded in 1949.
Over the past 74 years, leveraging its strategic location, Türkiye has continued to make critical contributions to NATO as the first ally in the region to directly confront threats and risks, particularly in the fight against terrorism.
Among 32 allies, Türkiye ranks seventh in contributing to the alliance’s budget. Its total contribution is expected to amount to 300 million euros (just over $355 million) this year and to rise to 620 million euros in 2030.
