The sights of Turkey’s Efes military drill

Last week, Breaking Defense travelled to Izmir in Turkey in order to check out the 2026 edition of Efes, a major military exercise for Turkey that brought together 50 participating countries.

The exercise, which occurred both during the day and at night, featured artillery and aircraft working together to attack multiple targets. Also featured in the exercise were live fires from submarines, fast crafts and unmanned surface vessels, as well as a simulation of special forces infiltrating behind enemy lines and conducting amphibious and demining operations.

Below, you’ll find a collection of photos from the exercise. And keep an eye out for stories from the trip.

The Kalkan Vertical Take off and Landing UAV is seen at the EFES 2026 exercise. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Rigid Inflatable Boats (RHIB) opened fire at the shores to secure them before the attack during Efes 2026. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Turkish navy’s AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter released flares above the TCG Anadolu drone carrier at the Efes 2026 exercise in Izmir. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Landing docks deploying marine infantry troops and vehicles to the beach at Efes 2026 (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Flares were dropped to distract enemy forces during the night portion of the Efes 2026 exercise. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Turkey’s Steel Dome air defense system was on displayer at Efes 2026. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) The Korkut very short range air defense system goes off at Efes 2026. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou) Live fire attacks on an enemy position light up the sky during the night phase of Efes 2026. (Breaking Defense/Agnes Helou)