ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy participated in the Turkey-led multinational Exercise Mavi Balina-2024 to boost cooperation with the Turkish Navy and reaffirm its commitment to regional peace and international naval collaboration.
According to a press release issued by Pakistan Navy’s Directorate General Public Relations on Tuesday Pakistan Navy ATR Aircraft from the 29 Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron participated in Exercise Mavi Balina-2024 at Dalaman, Turkey.
Exercise Mavi Balina-2024 is a Turkish-led multinational Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise, involving over 30 platforms, including ships, submarines, aircraft, and UAVs.
The exercise was conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean and aimed at practising submarine operations and ASW procedures.
Naval and air force assets from Turkey, NATO, the USA, Pakistan, Greece, and Special Operations Forces (SOF) teams from Turkey and Azerbaijan participated in this multilateral exercise.
Pakistan Navy is a regular participant in Exercise Mavi Balina. The interaction between Pakistan and other participating navies during the Harbour Phase included mutual visits, tabletop discussions, and planning sessions.
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The extensive Sea Phase culminated in detailed analysis sessions,” said the press release.
It said the Pakistan Navy’s active participation in Exercise Mavi Balina-2024 underscores its unwavering commitment to fostering relations between the two brotherly countries, Pakistan and Turkey, and strengthening bonds with leading navies.
“These collaborative engagements enhance interoperability, provide mutual training opportunities, and contribute to resilience in safeguarding shared interests and promoting peace across the region,” said the press release.
The naval drill took place in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish Naval Forces joined the exercise with a diverse range of assets: 5 submarines, 3 frigates, 2 corvettes, 1 to 2 patrol vessels, 2 fuel tankers, 2 auxiliary ships, 3 to 4 maritime patrol aircraft, 7 anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and 1 to 2 unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Turkish Air Force also contributed with 8 to 9 F-16 aircraft, while the Coast Guard Command provided 2 to 3 vessels.
The Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown, the Spanish frigate SPS Cristobal Colon and tanker SPS Cantabria, the Greek frigate HS Aegean, and the Turkish frigate TCG Fatih also attended the exercise. Additionally, the United States and Pakistan contributed a maritime patrol aircraft to the exercise.
The purpose of the exercise was to enhance the anti-submarine warfare knowledge and skills of participating units and commands, increase their preparedness for real operations and missions, and test procedures that strengthen joint operational capabilities.
Anti-submarine warfare is an underwater operation involving air, surface, and submarine forces based on information and intelligence sharing. Its goal is to prevent the enemy from effectively using their submarines.
