TCG Anadolu has arrived in Emden, Germany, to participate in Exercise Steadfast Dart 2026. Two recent photos from her arrival show how the ship has evolved over the past two years and three months.
The first two photos were taken this week in Germany, while the last one dates from October 2023. As highlighted in orange, a large number of new antennas have been installed on board.
Two very large light-grey spherical domes, housing satellite antennas measuring approximately 2.4 to 3 metres in diameter, can be seen on the forward superstructure and at the aft section of the ship. A second grey dome, likely covering a 1.5-metre antenna, is also visible on the forward superstructure. These larger antennas are required to transmit and receive large volumes of data, such as imagery, video streams, and high-bandwidth communications.
Their locations prevent them from having a full 360-degree line of sight to the satellites; therefore, they likely operate in coordination to ensure uninterrupted satellite connectivity.
In addition, two antenna clusters are visible, one on the forward starboard side of the superstructure and another on the aft port side. Five antennas can be seen in the forward cluster, while only two are visible aft, most likely due to the camera angle.
Although it is difficult to determine their exact size, these antennas appear to be approximately 0.6 to 1 metres in diameter. These smaller antennas are most likely used for command and control of the unmanned aircraft carried on board, as well as for transmitting data from these UAVs.
At least three additional antennas are installed on top of the superstructure, ranging between 0.6 and 1.2 metres in size. These are likely used for satellite communications or television signal reception. TV reception plays an important role in maintaining crew morale during long deployments.
Compared to her 2023 configuration, the increase in SATCOM and other antennas reflects the ship’s transition from a conventional amphibious assault ship toward a high-bandwidth UAV command platform. Such an antenna configuration, especially those mounted on the superstructure, is consistent with sustained beyond-line-of-sight UAV operations rather than occasional helicopter or manned aircraft use.
The addition of multiple antennas in various sizes is a clear indicator of a focus on permanent UAV operations such as TB3 and Kızılelma. To operate UAVs from a moving vessel on sea, the ship needs continuous satellite connectivity, real-time telemetry, video downlinks and redundant command links.
The significant increase in SATCOM capacity, with the addition of two very large antennas, indicates a shift toward bandwidth-intensive operations such as persistent ISR, real-time UAV video feeds, and network-centric task group command.
The new antenna architecture effectively turns TCG Anadolu into a UAV carrier and operations hub rather than a traditional helicopter assault ship.
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