Fifty countries took part in Efes 2026, a major military exercise staged in and around Izmir, Turkey.
Efes 2026 in Izmir: scale, tempo, and participation
Breaking Defense travelled to Izmir to check out the 2026 edition of Efes, which the outlet described as a major military exercise for Turkey that brought together 50 participating countries. The exercise unfolded across day and night cycles, allowing participating forces to operate under differing visibility, tempo, and command-and-control demands.
Combined fires: artillery and aircraft striking multiple targets
A central feature of the drills was the integration of ground artillery and aircraft to engage multiple targets. Organizers staged coordinated shoot-show scenarios in which indirect fires and air-delivered strikes were synchronized to strike separate objectives, testing timing, target deconfliction, and the flow of fires from different domains during complex operations.
Naval live fires: submarines, fast crafts, and unmanned surface vessels
Efes 2026 also showcased live-fire events at sea. The exercise included live shots from submarines and fast surface craft, alongside demonstrations involving unmanned surface vessels. Those naval elements fired in realistic sequences that emphasized littoral and open-water engagements and the integration of crewed and uncrewed platforms in maritime fires.
Special forces simulation: infiltration, amphibious landings, and demining
Organizers simulated special forces operations that penetrated behind defensive lines. The scenario set included infiltration behind enemy lines and follow-on activity such as amphibious operations and demining tasks, presenting a combined-arms picture that linked special operations maneuvers with naval and ground fire support.
How participating militaries, defense planners, and the host nation will watch Efes
- Participating militaries: Forces from the 50 participating countries will use the exercise to evaluate interoperability across air, land, and sea—particularly the mechanics of coordinating artillery and air strikes and sequencing naval live fires alongside unmanned surface vessels.
- Defense planners and procurement leaders: The use of submarines, fast crafts, and unmanned surface vessels in live-fire contexts will offer procurement and doctrine teams real-world data points on systems integration, sustainment, and the operational roles uncrewed platforms can play in mixed fleets.
- The host nation (Turkey): As the exercise conductor, Turkey presented a full-spectrum demonstration—from combined fires to special-forces simulations—highlighting its ability to stage large multinational events that run across day and night and involve maritime and littoral assets.
Breaking Defense’s visit produced a collection of photographs from the exercise, and the outlet signaled additional stories from the trip will follow. For now, the publicly described components—integrated artillery and air strikes, live naval fires including uncrewed surface vessels, and special-forces infiltration with amphibious and demining tasks—sketch the operational emphases of Efes 2026.
