The NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2) ships have arrived in Istanbul for a three-day port visit. The group is currently under the command of Rear Admiral Francesco Iavazzo of the Italian Navy, embarked on his flagship ITS Carlo Bergamini. The task group consists of the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St. John’s and the... Continue Reading →
On the night of 2 October 1992, tragedy struck during the NATO exercise Display Determination. The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60) accidentally launched two live Sea Sparrow missiles at her Turkish ally, the destroyer TCG Muavenet (DM-357). Five sailors — including the ship’s captain — were killed, and many more were injured. This remains... Continue Reading →
Türkiye has inducted its fourth T-70 utility helicopter into the Air Force Command in Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) configuration, bringing the total number of aircraft delivered under the Turkish Utility Helicopter Programme (TUHP) to 31 across the armed forces and security agencies. When Turkey launched its ambitious Turkish Utility Helicopter Programme (TUHP), the vision... Continue Reading →
Libya has long been one of the sharpest points of division in Turkish foreign policy. For years, Ankara stood firmly behind the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, clashing directly with the forces of General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA). Turkish military intervention in early 2020 tipped the balance on the battlefield:... Continue Reading →
The Qatar Emiri Naval Forces’ landing platform dock (LPD) Al Fulk is currently in Istanbul, where it arrived on 16 August for a port visit that will continue until 21 August. The stop offers Turkish naval observers a chance to see firsthand one of the most unusual and ambitious ship designs to emerge in recent... Continue Reading →
This is my sixth and final instalment regarding IDEF 2025. I have been attending these defence exhibitions since 1987, when they were still called IDEA and organised in Etimesgut, Ankara. Much has changed since those days. With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that the Turkish defence industry has now reached a plateau. It... Continue Reading →
IDEF 2025 Series – Instalment 5. Independence in the defence industry is a long and winding road. It is not cheap. And on top of it all, you can lose it very quickly. I’m old enough to remember that the second project Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) undertook in the late 1980s was the licensed production... Continue Reading →
IDEF 2025 Series – Instalment 4 One of the lesser-highlighted contracts signed during IDEF 2025—but one I personally find significant—is the agreement to procure four large patrol vessels for the Turkish Coast Guard. While this contract may not have captured as much public attention as headline-grabbing deals like the export of the KAAN fighter jet... Continue Reading →
IDEF 2025 Series – Instalment 3 One of the more interesting announcements at IDEF 2025 wasn’t about a new missile or a shiny prototype—it was about branding. The transformation of the ULAQ unmanned surface vessel (USV) program into an independent company marks a notable, if somewhat predictable, shift in Turkey’s defense industry landscape. The ULAQ... Continue Reading →
Scoring at Sea: Koç Bilgi ve Savunma’s Underwater Precision Tech I must admit, I felt a twinge of nostalgia when I saw the Koç Bilgi ve Savunma booth at IDEF 2025. It’s been more than 15 years since I worked for the Koç Group, but the name still triggers memories—some fond, some mixed, as is... Continue Reading →
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