Turkish Naval Air Command plans UAVs and future carrier air wing

A model of the future MUGEM Turkish aircraft carrier seen in Istanbul in late May 2025. (Janes/Devrim Yaylali)

At the 12th Naval Systems Seminar held in Istanbul on 26 and 27 May, Rear Admiral Mehmet Savaş Eser, commander of Turkish Naval Air Command, presented a comprehensive overview of the current state and future trajectory of Türkiye's naval air power.

Central to Rear Adm Eser's address was the prospective air wing planned for deployment aboard the country's forthcoming indigenous aircraft carrier, the MUGEM (Milli Uçak Gemisi).

Rear Adm Eser highlighted the transformational role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in reshaping Turkish naval doctrine. “Türkiye's rise as a UAV power over the last decade has profoundly influenced not only land operations but increasingly maritime strategy,” he said, citing platforms such as the Bayraktar TB-2, the Turkish Aerospace (Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii Anonim Şirketi: TUSAŞ)-produced Aksungur, and Anka-3 UAVs. These systems are now integral to the Turkish Navy's evolving force structure.

Naval UAVs have already been deployed extensively for surveillance, reconnaissance, and engagement missions, with operational concepts advancing rapidly. Notably, the Aksungur UAV – with its long endurance and high payload capacity – is being developed for a variety of missions including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), maritime surveillance, and long-range strikes. A key milestone was recently achieved with the completion of the initial phase of sonobuoy processing capabilities for the Aksungur, marking an important step towards transforming UAVs into unmanned maritime patrol and ASW platforms.