NATO NUSRET-2026 mine warfare exercise

The NUSRET-2026 mine warfare exercise has commenced in Turkey, taking place in the Izmir Gulf and along the Black Sea coast near Ereğli. Hosted by Turkey, the annual event involves approximately 870 personnel, 20 surface vessels, 5 aircraft, and various unmanned systems to enhance interoperability among NATO allies and partner nations.

Participating forces include units from Turkey, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece via the NATO Standing Mine Countermeasures Group-2, alongside the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Group. Rear Admiral Osman Çevik described the exercise as a comprehensive training program consisting of three phases: force integration and mine laying, sonar-based mine detection, and subsequent operations.

In conjunction with the drills, 16 defense companies utilized Alsancak Port to showcase maritime and underwater technologies. Exhibitions featured advancements in sonar systems, unmanned sea vehicles, and mine countermeasures, including HAVELSAN’s remotely operated underwater vehicles, Meteksan Savunma Sanayii AŞ’s detection sensors, and MKE’s naval warfare systems such as the PİRANA Kamikaze Unmanned Sea Vehicle.