The 2026 edition of Blue Whale, one of the biggest exercises involving submarines in the Mediterranean, had its media and distinguished observers' day on Friday in southwestern Türkiye. The invitation-only military drill hosts more than 4,500 personnel from 12 countries and involves eight submarines, 11 warships, five helicopters and an assortment of aerial and underwater military vehicles, including drones. The exercise also stands out with the participation of Türkiye’s neighbor, Greece, which is represented by one warship. The two countries contest maritime borders in the Aegean Sea and are often at odds over rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Türkiye calls for recognition of the Turkish Cypriot side in divided Cyprus and Greece only recognizes the Greek Cypriot side.
The exercise, which began on Nov. 9, will conclude on Nov. 20. On Friday, Turkish Naval Forces Command hosted a briefing aboard the TCG Salihreis frigate for journalists and observers at the Aksaz naval base on the coast of Marmaris.
Rear Adm. Ahmet Işçi, commander of the submarine fleet based in Gölcük in northwestern Türkiye, briefed journalists and observers on the exercise's purpose and stages.
Işçi said the exercise aims not only to enhance the Turkish naval forces’ operational capabilities but also to strengthen cooperation and interoperability among friendly and allied countries.
“Our submarine fleet has become one of the key elements of our navy’s deterrent power,” he said, noting that the Turkish Submarine Fleet ranks among NATO’s leading fleets with 13 active submarines.
He said the main objective of the biannual international exercise is to improve knowledge, skills and readiness in anti-submarine warfare, adding that it also seeks to enhance joint operational capabilities in an environment that reflects real operational conditions.
Işçi said eight submarines, 11 warships, five helicopters, three maritime patrol aircraft, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one unmanned underwater vehicle would take part in the exercise under the Naval Forces Command. Three vessels from the Coast Guard Command will also participate.
Along with one Greek warship, two Spanish warships are participating as part of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), while a U.S. Navy warship is joining them independently.
A maritime patrol aircraft from the Pakistan Navy and 13 foreign observers from seven countries are also attending.
Cooperation activities will be conducted during the exercise under the scenarios of “Submarine and Underwater Attack Operations” and “Submarine and Maritime Air Operations,” Işçi said.
The exercise was also an occasion for the promotion of locally made vehicles in the service of the Turkish navy, including “Deringöz” and “Kılıç” by the top defense firm ASELSAN. Deringöz is an autonomous underwater vehicle used for reconnaissance and surveillance, with an operating depth of 600 meters (1,968.5 feet) and an operating time of up to 24 hours with an expandable battery. Kılıç is a kamikaze autonomous underwater vehicle designed to detect, track and neutralize maritime targets such as subsea and surface platforms.
