Türkiye will host the Mavi Balina 2026 naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean from 9 to 20 November. The exercise will involve units from the Turkish Navy and Coast Guard, as well as NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2), which includes units from Türkiye, Spain and Greece.
Units from the United States and Pakistan will also take part in the exercise. Indonesia, Morocco, Iraq, Mozambique, Mauritania, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Oman will attend as observers.
The exercise is focused on anti-submarine warfare. Its stated aim is to improve coordination between air, surface and submarine forces in detecting and countering submarines operating at sea.
Hosted by Türkiye in the eastern Mediterranean, the manoeuvre brings national and international naval units together for joint training and coordination.
