Beachgoers in Antalya’s Konyaaltı district had an unusual view on Sunday as the Turkish Navy staged the showcase day of a large unmanned-systems exercise just off Sarısu Beach, with 18 ships, 11 aircraft and around 1,300 personnel taking part, according to the state news agency Anadolu (AA).
The event was the "distinguished observer day" of TURNAs-2026, the National Unmanned Naval Systems Exercise run by the Naval Forces Command. Observer days are the part of a military exercise where scenarios are performed in front of senior officials, guests and defence companies. AA said the exercise was attended by Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, and Deputy Defence Minister Bilal Durdalı.
Drones in the air, on the water and on land
The aim, AA reported, was to improve how crewed and uncrewed platforms operate together and to test new systems from Türkiye’s defence industry in real sea conditions. The scenarios included covert reconnaissance, finding and destroying mines near the coast, scouting an amphibious landing area and "softening up" a simulated enemy beachhead.
Uncrewed land, air and sea vehicles were also used in an urban combat scenario. TB3 and AKSUNGUR drones dropped sonobuoys (floating listening devices used to detect submarines), an interceptor drone attacked a target, a kamikaze drone was launched from an ANKA-S aircraft and an explosive-laden unmanned surface vessel (USV) carried out an attack. A short-range air defence system on board the landing ship TCG Beykoz shot down an FPV drone and a kamikaze USV. Crews also practised rescuing personnel who had fallen overboard.
The fleet included a multipurpose amphibious ship, a frigate, a corvette, fast attack craft, a submarine, a mine countermeasures ship, landing ships, auxiliary vessels, USVs and Coast Guard boats. Defence firms exhibited their systems, and the day ended with a pass by the unmanned surface vessels.
Part of a week of trials off the coast
The observer day follows earlier tests in the same exercise. On Saturday the Demirören News Agency (DHA) reported that an AKSUNGUR drone, flown by satellite link from Ankara, had for the first time released ASELSAN-made ASELBUOY underwater listening buoys over the Mediterranean off Antalya, with the acoustic data sent back to a ground station in Ankara.
What it means for residents
The scenarios took place at sea off Konyaaltı’s beach, and AA did not report any wider restrictions for the public. Anyone living in or visiting the city may still notice warships, low-flying aircraft and drones off the coast during exercises like this. The exercise comes in a busy period for the city: Antalya is preparing to host the COP31 climate summit on 9-20 November, and the region continues to draw large numbers of foreign visitors into the autumn. For more on daily life in the province, see our guide to living in Antalya.
Sources
- Antalya’da TURNAs-2026 seçkin gözlemci gününe 18 gemi ve 1300 personel katıldı (AA via Haberler.com)
- AKSUNGUR, TURNAs-26’da ilk kez ASELBUOY’u insansız hava aracından attı (DHA via Haberler.com)
Photo: Max / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
