Doğu Akdeniz 2017 Naval Exercise Started In Eastern Mediterranean
7 Nov 2017
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook arrives in Aksaz, Turkey. Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Theron J. Godbold
Doğu Akdeniz 2017 naval exercise kicked off yesterday at Turkish Naval Base in Aksaz, Marmaris
The biannual, invitation exercise will take in areas near Aksaz in the Eastern Mediterranean between 7 and 16 November 2017.
Turkey has invited the NATO Standing Maritime Task Force-2 (SNMG-2), the United States and Romanian Naval Forces. They will join the Naval Forces, Air Forces and Coast Guard elements from Turkey.
25 warships and submarines 27 helicopters and airplanes and 3500 personnel from 5 participating countries will take part in the exercise. The exercise is a multinational maritime exercise designed to improve combined combat capabilities, increase operational capacity and strengthen relationships among NATO allies.
This is the list of the participating ships and submarines as far as I could comply:
| Number | Name | Type | Nationality | Fleet |
| F-245 | TCG Oruçreis | Frigate | Turkey | |
| F-24X | TCG XXX | Frigate | Turkey | |
| F-24X | TCG XXX | Frigate | Turkey | |
| F-24X | TCG XXX | Frigate | Turkey | |
| F-24X | TCG XXX | Frigate | Turkey | |
| F-511 | TCG Heybeliada | Corvette | Turkey | |
| P-344 | TCG Rüzgar | Fast attack craft | Turkey | |
| P-345 | TCG Poyraz | Fast attack craft | Turkey | |
| P-347 | TCG Fırtına | Fast attack craft | Turkey | |
| P-338 | TCG Bora | Fast attack craft | Turkey | |
| P-33X | TCG XXX | Fast attack craft | Turkey | |
| S-35X | TCG XXX | Submarine | Turkey | |
| S-35X | TCG XXX | Submarine | Turkey | |
| S-35X | TCG XXX | Submarine | Turkey | |
| A-580 | TCG Akar | Tanker | Turkey | |
| A-XXX | TCG XXX | Tanker | Turkey | |
| L-402 | TCG Bayraktar | LST | Turkey | |
| A-XXX | TCG XXX | Tug | Turkey | |
| SG-703 | TCSG Yaşam | OPV | Turkey | CG |
| L-12 | HMS Ocean | LSH | UK | SNMG-2 |
| F-244 | TCG Barbaros | Frigate | Turkey | SNMG-2 |
| 41 | BGS Drazki | Frigate | Bulgaria | SNMG-2 |
| 265 | ROS Admiral Horia Macelariu | Corvette | Romania | |
| 75 | USS Donald Cook | Destroyer | USA |
Furthermore following military and civilian search and rescue and emergency responce teams will tke part in the exercise:
- Turkish Land Forces Command Natural Disaster Relief teams and ambulance helicopters,
- Turkish Air Force Command, search and rescue helicopter and AKİP (Search and Rescue Specialist Staff) team,
- Ministry of Interior (Gendarmerie General Command), JAK (Gendarme Search and Rescue) teams,
- Transport, Maritime and Communications Ministry, Coastal Security General Directorate, Nene Hatun emergency response ship,
- Ministry of Health mobile hospital, command control instrument and UMKE (National Medical Rescue Team) teams,
- The Turkish Red Crescent
An important part of the exercise will be the attempts to provide coastal safety during disasters by means of disaster and emergency operations, search and rescue, humanitarian aid and air sanitary evacuation procedures. The command, control and communications capabilities of the newest amphibious ship of Turkish Navy, TCG Bayraktar will be tested and evaluated in this scenario extensively.
turkishnavy.net 