"Oh what a surprise" one could say, wanting to make a mocking comment on the Turkish Armed Forces' exercise "Sea Wolf 2024" that has been going on for the last few days, with the first ships having left their naval bases on the day of Epiphany, as first revealed by Pentapostagma.
The mocking comment in this case has to do with the subject matter and the first footage from the exercise released by the Turkish defence ministry itself, which focuses on... landing actions apparently targeting a Greek island, apparently inspired by the spirit of good neighbourliness of the Athens Declaration...
The footage shows Turkish marines disembarking from a landing craft on a beach reminiscent of those on Greek islands. This is followed by Turkish-made armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry such as bombs.
What could be more... peaceful and in the spirit of good neighbourliness preached by the... Declaration of Athens, one might say...
In the relevant post on social media, the Turkish Ministry of Defence repeats the text of the original announcement: Conducted in the Black Sea, Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean between 7-16 January 2024, as part of the Naval Forces Command's operational training activities for 2024.
The objective of the exercise is to assess the operational management and management effectiveness of the Naval Forces and its associated Commands and to develop the judgment, insight and decision-making skills of Headquarters personnel and elements participating in the exercise in a highly threatening environment.
It also aims to test interoperability procedures with other Force Commands and Public Institutions."
In the press conference held a day before the Turkish fleet ships started to sail into the Aegean, the Chief of Naval Operations Vice Admiral Kenan Kaan Türkkan had said: "In total, about 17 thousand people, including 100 surface ships, 7 submarines, 34 aircraft, 22 helicopters, 22 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1 public institution, will take part in the Sea Fleet"
The scenarios that the Turks will test will include surface fire, air defense fire, shore bombardment and guided missile fire and of course landing actions that will be repeated with greater intensity in the EFES exercise..
In more detail as we have already reported the exercise Denizkurdu 1/2024 (Sea Wolf) includes 8 frigates, 3 corvettes, 16 missile boats, 7 submarines, 6 minesweepers, 47 support ships, 13 patrol ships, 9 landing craft, 10 aircraft, 17 helicopters, 22 unmanned aerial vehicles, submarine destruction teams, attack helicopters, troop transport helicopters, heavy lift helicopters from the Turkish Land Army Command, fighters from the Air Force Command, air warning and control aircraft, target towing aircraft, 2 coast guard rescue ships and 6 coast guard vessels.
