The 11-day Sea Wolf II drill that began on May 6 demonstrates that Türkiye is a force to be reckoned with as its navy showcases its capabilities.
A highlight of the drill was the Bayraktar TB3 drone, a leading example of Türkiye’s rapidly flourishing defense industry that is seeking to end reliance on other countries for the country’s arsenal.
The TB3, the first uncrewed aerial vehicle (UCAV) able to autonomously take off and land on short-runway vessels, joined locally made vessels and other domestic products of the defense industry at the drill. Commanders of land, naval and air forces of the Turkish army heaped praise on the drones while underlining changing paradigms in defense and a new era for Türkiye’s armed forces.
The drill, taking place in the Black Sea, the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Marmara, is one of the largest for the Turkish navy. Some 120 vessels, 85 naval and aerial vehicles, and 22,700 troops are taking part.
Speaking at Distinguished Observer Day of the drill on Wednesday in the southern province of Antalya, Naval Forces commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu singled out TB3 as a gamechanger for naval warfare for the Turkish navy. TB3s took off consecutively from the TCG Anadolu, a drone-carrying amphibious assault ship commissioned in 2023. UCAVs carried out two salvo strikes against land targets with direct hits. Tatlıoğlu said that another highlight of the drill was the firing of the Atmaca anti-ship cruise missile, another locally made product.
“TB-3s changed the face of naval warfare. Amphibious operations, underwater drone operations and control of uncrewed surface vessel swarms through UCAVs have been part of a new doctrine. As Turkish Naval Forces, we are happy and proud of the point the Turkish defense industry has reached,” he told journalists.
Similarly, Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, head of Land Forces Command, which supplied helicopters for the drill, said TB3 made a world-first move at Sea Wolf II. “Land Forces Command has probably the highest number of UCAVs in the world and in terms of their technology, management and utilization, we rank first in the world,” he said. Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, commander of Turkish Air Forces, said they were working on creating a new naval and aerial concept for the defense of Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” and “Sky Homeland,” referring to maritime borders and airspace.
Selçuk Bayraktar, chairperson of Baykar, joined generals as they observed the drill and told reporters that Turkish drones have changed warfare paradigms in the world.
“UCAVs commissioned by the land forces are the first UCAVs in the world that secured victory in a war, and we expect a similar transformation in naval defenses,” he said.
“One of our ancestors, Mehmed the Conqueror, changed the paradigms by walking ships across land to conquer Istanbul and therefore, transformed amphibious operations. We are in a new era with our drones taking off and landing on short-runway vessels,” he said. He mentioned that with this move, Türkiye outranked two companies in Israel and the United States, which were planning a similar operation.
