TCG Anadolu Joins NATO Neptune Strike 2026/4 With TB-3 Drones, Frigate and Submarine

The Turkish Navy amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu is leading a Turkish naval task group in NATO’s Neptune Strike 2026/4 (NEST 26/4) activity, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence said on its official X account on 20 October 2026. The drill, part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) series, is running from 16 to 21 October across the North Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea.

Anadolu Task Group line-up

According to the ministry, the Anadolu Naval Task Group taking part in the activity is built around TCG Anadolu, a multi-purpose amphibious ship, escorted by the frigate TCG Gaziantep and the submarine TCG Gür. The group also carries three TB-3 unmanned combat aerial vehicles and a battalion-sized landing force, giving it a mix of surface, sub-surface, unmanned air and amphibious capabilities.

The ministry said a Media and Distinguished Visitors Day was held aboard TCG Anadolu off the coast of Albania on 19 October, with Turkish and foreign journalists attending. It described the deployment under the message “strong at sea, effective in NATO”.

Why the TB-3 matters

The Baykar-built Bayraktar TB-3 is a folding-wing armed drone designed to take off from and land on short-deck ships such as TCG Anadolu. Its presence in a NATO maritime activity continues a pattern seen earlier in 2026, when TB-3s operating from the ship took part in the sea phase of NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise in the Baltic Sea and, according to Turkish media reports, struck a surface target with MAM-L munitions.

Deploying a ship-based drone wing alongside a landing battalion allows Ankara to showcase a compact amphibious force that can conduct surveillance and precision strikes without carrier-based fighter jets.

Neptune Strike and NATO’s vigilance posture

Neptune Strike activities are designed to rehearse the integration of national maritime and air assets under NATO command and to demonstrate the Alliance’s ability to project power across Europe’s seas. Earlier iterations have centred on carrier strike groups from the United States, France and Italy.

Türkiye’s participation with a full amphibious task group underlines the growing role TCG Anadolu plays in Allied maritime planning since its commissioning in 2023. The ministry did not provide details of specific serials or live-fire events planned before the activity ends on 21 October.

Featured image: U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons