Turkish Navy Wraps Up Nusret-2026 Mine Warfare Exercise With 20 Ships and Allied Divers
The Turkish Navy has completed Nusret-2026, its annual invitation exercise in mine warfare, Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence announced on its official X account on 18 October. The drill ran from 6 to 16 October in the Gulf of İzmir and off Karadeniz Ereğli on the Black Sea coast, with Turkish units and forces from friendly and allied countries.
- Hosted by the Turkish Naval Forces Command and run by the Mine Fleet Command
- 20 ships, five aircraft and several unmanned systems took part
- Explosive ordnance disposal and underwater vehicle teams came from the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania and Oman
- 89 foreign personnel from 26 countries attended the Distinguished Observer Day
- 16 Turkish defence companies showcased mine countermeasure technologies in İzmir
What happened during the exercise
Turkish Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard units trained to locate and neutralise sea mines alongside allied crews. During the Distinguished Observer Day in İzmir, the minelayer TCG Karabiga laid a training mine, the minehunter TCG Anamur used an underwater vehicle to identify an anchored mine, and mine warfare divers from TCG Amasra destroyed it. A drone then detected a drifting mine, which was neutralised in a final phase before a sail-past of air and naval units.
Lessons from the Black Sea
Navy Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu said the Turkish Navy is among the world’s most experienced in mine warfare, pointing to the mines that have drifted in the Black Sea since the war between Russia and Ukraine began. He also warned that mine threats in chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could disrupt global trade and energy flows, and highlighted unmanned systems and a next-generation minehunter concept as priorities.
Industry on display
Alongside the drill, 16 Turkish defence firms exhibited underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms at İzmir’s Alsancak port. HAVELSAN presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with its own funding and rated to depths of 300 metres.
Busy autumn at sea
Nusret-2026 followed the Sea Wolf (Denizkurdu) exercise held in September across the Black Sea, Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, one of the Turkish Navy’s largest annual drills. Together, the exercises underline Ankara’s focus on protecting the Turkish Straits and key shipping routes, where mine clearance is a vital capability.
Featured image: free photos / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
