EFES-2024 exercise wraps up with high-level participation

The distinguished observer day of the EFES-2024 exercise, held in the Doganbey Firing Exercise Zone in Seferihisar district, was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff General Metin Gurak.

The distinguished observer day was also graced by the presence of esteemed dignitaries including Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister General Zakir Hasanov, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Zukan Helez, Guinea-Bissau’s Defense Minister Nicalou Dos Santos, Congo’s Defense Minister Charles Richard Mondjo, Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdulkadir Muhammed Nur, Tanzania’s Defense and National Service Minister Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Uganda’s Defense and Veteran Affairs Minister Jakob Marksons Oboth, and Gambia’s Defense Minister Sering Modou Njie. Additionally, chiefs of staff from friendly and allied nations attended.

Following the first amphibious assault wave carried out last night as part of the scenario, two more waves of amphibious assault exercises were conducted today.

In the exercise, which continued with the firing of 76-millimeter naval guns from TCG Burgazada and TCG Buyukada, electronic warfare elements MILKAR-3A3 and MILKAR-5S, produced by Aselsan, were used to carry out electronic attacks to disrupt enemy communications.

Within the scope of the air assault operation, 4 Atak, 4 Cougar, 4 Sikorsky, and 2 CH-47 Chinook helicopters were deployed. The 105 mm BORAN howitzer produced by MKE was transported with Sikorsky and CH-47 heavy-lift helicopters carrying ammunition containers.

During the exercise, F-16 aircraft from the Turkish Air Force and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from the Qatari Air Force struck designated targets.

ZAHA (Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicles) deployed from TCG Anadolu participated in the beach landing for the first time at EFES-2024.

Helicopters taking off from TCG Anadolu, TCG Bayraktar, and TCG Sancaktar, along with boats launched into the sea, conducted a boat operation with units from the U.S., Azerbaijan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya and Saudi Arabia participating.

In the scenario involving the detection of an enemy submarine, three Sikorsky helicopters approached the sea surface and deployed sonar devices. A maritime patrol aircraft also dropped a training torpedo to neutralize the submarine.

In the exercise, which included striking enemy targets with howitzers, MAGAS-A rockets were fired to clear vehicle passageways through mined areas for landing units. Artillery fire continued to support the amphibious operation, while snipers successfully hit targets from 600 meters with the Bora sniper rifle.

Mine warfare divers identified and neutralized specified mines using autonomous underwater vehicles.

The exercise involved coordinated reconnaissance movements, surveillance, fire and fire support elements, and attack helicopters, which struck all targets with howitzers, mortars, rockets and artillery fire.

Search and rescue and evacuation operations were also conducted as part of the exercise.

As part of the scenario, a Sikorsky helicopter took off from TCG Anadolu to evacuate an injured personnel member to a mobile field hospital.

During the landing of the beaching ships, Akinci UCAVs from their bases in Corlu supported the operation with accurate strikes.

In the urban combat segment, after tanks entered the field, TB2s launched UAV strikes. Anti-tank missiles hit identified enemy armored vehicles.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, 50 ships of the Turkish Naval Forces saluted President Erdogan. The Italian frigate Durand de la Penne and the Libyan corvette Shafak also participated in the salute.

The exercise concluded with the execution of the unification operation as part of the scenario.

Firsts of EFES-2024

In the EFES-2024 exercises, a number of military vehicles and equipment were used for the first time in a live-fire exercise in various ways, including, but not limited to, new-generation Firtina-2 and Boran howitzers, PARS OMTAS turreted wheeled vehicles, MILKAR attack systems, C-70 thermal weapon sights, E-60 thermal weapon binoculars, and CADEX sniper rifles.