Turkish Corvette TCG Burgazada Joins Italy’s Mare Aperto-2026 Exercise in the Ionian Sea
The Turkish Navy corvette TCG Burgazada took part in Italy’s Mare Aperto-2026 invitation exercise in the Ionian Sea from 12 to 16 October, Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence said on its official X account on 18 October. The ship joined the drill while serving with NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2), alongside units from the Spanish, Greek and Portuguese navies.
- TCG Burgazada is an Ada-class (MILGEM) anti-submarine warfare corvette
- The ship is currently assigned to NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2
- Mare Aperto is the Italian Navy’s flagship multinational exercise
- Spanish, Greek and Portuguese naval units also took part
- The 2026 drill took place in the Ionian Sea from 12 to 16 October
A NATO task group in Italian waters
Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is one of the alliance’s permanent naval task groups, usually operating in the Mediterranean with ships rotated in from member states. Its participation in Mare Aperto gives NATO crews the chance to train in complex scenarios with the Italian Navy, which uses the exercise to test its readiness in high-intensity maritime operations.
What is Mare Aperto?
Mare Aperto (“Open Sea”) is the Italian Navy’s main annual exercise, covering anti-submarine, anti-air, surface and amphibious warfare and the protection of sea lines of communication. Recent editions have been among the largest naval drills in the Mediterranean, involving dozens of ships and aircraft from Italy and allied countries.
The Turkish ship
TCG Burgazada is one of the Ada-class corvettes built under Turkey’s national MILGEM programme. Designed mainly for anti-submarine warfare and patrol missions, the class is armed with Harpoon or indigenous anti-ship missiles, a 76mm gun and torpedoes, and carries a helicopter. Its deployment with SNMG-2 reflects Turkey’s regular contribution to NATO’s standing naval forces.
Allied cooperation
The Turkish ministry said the exercise was held with the participation of Spanish, Greek and Portuguese naval units. Regular drills such as Mare Aperto help NATO navies improve interoperability in the Mediterranean, a region of rising importance due to tensions in the Middle East and the protection of undersea cables and energy routes.
Featured image: Piergiuliano Chesi / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
