Pakistan Navy’s ATR-72 Touches Down in Turkey as Dogu Akdeniz 2025 Begins: A New Era of Pak-Turkey Naval Power

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a display of escalating strategic fraternity and rising bilateral military synergy, the Pakistan Navy’s ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft from the prestigious 29 Squadron touched down at Turkey’s Dalaman Air Base, marking the official commencement of Exercise Dogu Akdeniz 2025 and signalling a new chapter in the Indo-Mediterranean naval partnership.

The sight of the ATR-72 — a maritime surveillance workhorse renowned for its long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities — taxiing across the tarmac under the supervision of Turkish naval handlers symbolized far more than routine military logistics.

It represented an unmistakable demonstration of shared resolve, expanding maritime domain awareness (MDA), and a unified strategic posture between two non-NATO yet deeply aligned naval powers operating across some of the world’s most contested maritime chokepoints.

The exercise, translated as “Eastern Mediterranean,” has for decades served as one of Turkey’s cornerstone naval platforms, evolving from modest bilateral manoeuvres to a multi-national high-tempo exercise that tests the limits of modern maritime warfare in an increasingly volatile strategic seascape.

The 2025 edition, launched with Pakistan’s ATR-72 arrival, places pronounced emphasis on multi-domain operations spanning ASW, anti-surface warfare (ASuW), humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR), mine countermeasures (MCM), maritime interdiction operations (MIO), and integrated air and missile defence (IAMD).

With tensions simmering across the Mediterranean — from gas exploration disputes to drone warfare, cyber intrusions, contested EEZ lines, and hybrid maritime threats — Dogu Akdeniz 2025 carries profound geostrategic weight, serving both as a deterrent signal and as a naval laboratory for high-end combat interoperability.

For Pakistan, deploying the ATR-72 over 3,500 kilometres from Karachi to the Eastern Mediterranean underscores the Pakistan Navy’s growing blue-water posture, its maturing expeditionary logistics capability, and its ambition to strengthen maritime presence far beyond the Arabian Sea.

Equipped with advanced sonobuoys, dipping sonar, acoustic processors, and electro-optical systems, the Pakistan Navy’s ATR-72 has emerged as a crucial ASW and maritime ISR platform, repeatedly demonstrating value during exercises such as Mavi Balina-2024, where it refined submerged threat detection at extended ranges.

Now, as it integrates into a battlespace featuring Turkish frigates, submarines, UAVs, and multinational coalition partners, the ATR-72 becomes a central component of a combined maritime force rehearsing scenarios that closely resemble future high-intensity naval conflict in the Mediterranean and beyond.

 A Historical Continuum: How Turgutreis and Dogu Akdeniz Forged an Enduring Pak-Turkey Naval Axis

The roots of Pak-Turkey naval collaboration stretch decades, rooted in post-colonial camaraderie and shared geopolitical instincts, yet it was the 21st century that transformed this relationship into a robust maritime partnership increasingly visible across operational theatres.

The inauguration of Turgutreis-I in April 2018 in the North Arabian Sea set the stage for a new naval era, where Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu executed ASW, ASuW, VBSS, and counter-piracy drills alongside Pakistan Navy assets, establishing a baseline of tactical trust that would later expand into the Mediterranean domain.

By 2019, Pakistan’s participation in Exercise Dogu Akdeniz-2019 marked a significant milestone, with PNS Alamgir — an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate valued globally for its Harpoon missile suite and embarked Z-9EC ASW helicopter — anchoring Pakistan’s presence at Aksaz Naval Base.

Its deployment, augmented by a Pakistan Navy P-3C Orion at Dalaman, generated geopolitical waves after Greece lodged formal protestations over alleged proximity to Kastellorizo, underscoring how swiftly joint Pak-Turkey naval activity could unsettle regional rivalries.

Nevertheless, the exercise continued unhindered, incorporating 12 participant nations, including the US, Spain, and Italy, and concluded with bilateral Turgutreis-IV patrols demonstrating high-grade maritime integration.

February 2019 saw further consolidation as PNS Alamgir and PNS Aslat undertook Turgutreis-III drills in the Arabian Sea, combining ASW manoeuvres supported by the ATR-72/500 — a showcase of the Pakistan Navy’s rising reliance on long-endurance maritime ISR platforms.

In November 2021, PNS Alamgir returned for Dogu Akdeniz-2021 alongside NATO members, reinforcing its multinational credentials while senior Pakistan Navy commanders engaged Turkish naval leadership to streamline operational doctrines, information-sharing pathways, and unmanned systems cross-training.

The post-2022 environment accelerated this alignment, with Turkey’s Mavi Vatan (“Blue Homeland”) doctrine and Pakistan’s broader extended neighbourhood maritime strategy converging to produce routine ASW and multi-domain engagements, most prominently in the Mavi Balina ASW series.

The bilateral amphibious exercise of August 2025 — described officially as a “significant milestone” — further amplified the partnership through special operations insertions, HA/DR simulations, and littoral warfare conditioning.

Dogu Akdeniz 2025 thus emerges not as an isolated event but as the culmination of a steadily intensifying naval collaboration shaped by mutual interests, regional volatility, and a shared vision of maritime resilience.

ATR-72: Pakistan’s Maritime Sentinel and the Technological Backbone of Dogu Akdeniz 2025

At the tactical core of Pakistan’s participation stands the ATR-72, a twin-turboprop, high-endurance maritime patrol aircraft customized by Leonardo and equipped with advanced mission systems that have transformed it into a critical ASW and ISR asset.

With an operational endurance exceeding 1,500 nautical miles and an altitude ceiling surpassing 25,000 feet, the ATR-72 excels in persistent maritime surveillance over strategic chokepoints, whether the Bab el-Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, or the increasingly militarized Eastern Mediterranean.

The Pakistan Navy’s 29 Squadron operates ATR-72 units fitted with Thales AMASCOS mission suites, integrating surface-search radar, FLIR, magnetic anomaly detectors (MAD), electronic support measures (ESM), and advanced acoustic processors designed to identify, classify, and track modern diesel-electric submarines.

In Dogu Akdeniz 2025, the aircraft will spearhead ASW operations, deploying state-of-the-art sonobuoys to localize simulated submarine incursions, reflecting real-world threats as multiple Mediterranean littoral states expand their undersea warfare inventories with German, French, and Russian-origin platforms.

Its ASuW utility includes over-the-horizon targeting for ship-launched anti-ship missiles, enabling Turkish and Pakistani surface units to expand their engagement envelope well beyond organic sensor range.

The aircraft’s HA/DR modules — capable of delivering medical kits, rescue equipment, and rapid-response payloads — add humanitarian flexibility to a theatre frequently threatened by seismic activity and refugee flows.

Recent upgrades, including Pakistani-developed datalinks and improved C2 integration suites, allow seamless pairing with Turkish unmanned aerial systems such as the TAI Aksungur MALE UAV and the upcoming Bayraktar TB3 maritime variant, paving the way for multi-platform ISR-strike architecture.

The transit from Masroor Air Base to Dalaman was itself a showcase of operational finesse, involving coordinated diplomatic clearances and airpower support, reflecting Pakistan’s increasing proficiency in long-distance maritime deployments.

As veteran aviator Captain (ret.) Ahmed Hashmi emphasized, “This isn’t just about flying hours; it’s about embedding PN’s ISR into Turkey’s C4ISR grid,” a statement that captures the strategic essence of Pakistan’s aerial integration into Mediterranean naval operations.

For the 12-member crew — comprising acoustic warfare specialists, navigators, mission control operators, and tactical coordinators — Dogu Akdeniz 2025 represents one of the region’s most complex real-time operational laboratories.

Inside Dogu Akdeniz 2025: The Anatomy of a Multi-Domain, Multi-Threat Naval Super-Exercise

Spanning 10–14 days, Dogu Akdeniz 2025 is divided into harbour and sea phases designed to test the full spectrum of maritime warfare competencies that modern navies require to survive in contested waters.

The harbour phase at Aksaz and Dalaman integrates tabletop war games, strategic planning briefings, cyber defence workshops, and cultural exchanges designed to strengthen the interpersonal trust that fuels multinational maritime coalitions.

The sea phase, however, serves as the real crucible, featuring live-fire drills, complex air-sea coordination, and fast-paced multi-domain scenarios testing the survivability, lethality, and responsiveness of participating forces.

ASW: The Submarine Hunt

ASW constitutes the backbone of Dogu Akdeniz 2025 as Turkish Type 209/1400 submarines, assisted by allied underwater assets, simulate silent incursions requiring precise detection, tracking, and classification.

The Pakistan Navy’s ATR-72 — paired with Turkish S-70B Seahawk helicopters — will execute torpedo drops, depth-charge simulations, and acoustic triangulation manoeuvres based on data pipelines refined during Mavi Balina-2024, where Pakistan achieved detection success at ranges exceeding 50 kilometres.

ASuW: Countering Surface Threats

Surface warfare scenarios test ship-to-ship engagements using gunnery and missile solutions, with Turkey’s Ada-class corvettes and Pakistan’s MILGEM-class counterparts practising coordinated salvoes of Exocet and Atmaca anti-ship missiles guided by ATR-72 targeting feeds.

HA/DR: Humanitarian Excellence

HA/DR simulations reflect regional realities, where earthquake relief, mass migration, and maritime disasters demand rapid-response capabilities including aerial resupply, medical evacuation, and NGO-military interoperability — areas where both Pakistan and Turkey have gained global recognition.

MCM: Clearing Maritime Chokepoints

Mine warfare drills employ unmanned underwater vehicles, divers, and Layin-class minehunters to clear mock minefields, reflecting growing concerns over mine warfare in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Strait of Hormuz.

MIO: Boarding the Illicit

VBSS teams from Pakistan’s SSG(N) and Turkey’s SAT conduct interdiction operations targeting simulated smuggling, arms trafficking, and illicit maritime activity, employing Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) operational frameworks.

Air and Missile Defence: Protecting the Fleet

IAMD drills integrate Turkey’s Hisar air-defence systems and Pakistan’s HQ-16 interceptors into a unified layered shield tested against drone swarms, simulated cruise missile threats, and fast-jet incursions under ATR-72 supervisory ISR coverage.

Observers from Qatar, Azerbaijan, Italy, and potentially the United States add multinational flavour, reinforcing the exercise’s reputation as one of the Eastern Mediterranean’s most dynamic naval assemblages.

As Rear Admiral (LH) Ather Khan noted, “This is multi-domain mastery: air, surface, subsurface, cyber – all in harmony.”

Strategic Implications: Why Dogu Akdeniz 2025 Reshapes the Mediterranean Power Equation

Geopolitically, Dogu Akdeniz 2025 is more than a drill; it is a strategic declaration in a region where naval power, pipeline corridors, UAV supremacy, and hybrid threats collide with growing intensity.

Turkey’s Eastern Mediterranean strategy frequently clashes with Greek-Israeli alignments manifested in exercises such as Noble Dina, while Pakistan’s involvement disrupts assumptions of regional naval polarity by adding a capable non-Mediterranean partner aligned with Turkish objectives.

This synergy effectively broadens Turkey’s geopolitical breathing space while offering Pakistan an opportunity to project influence into a theatre central to Europe-Middle East energy flows.

The bilateral defence industry dimension is equally pivotal.

Turkey’s STM, ASFAT, and other defence giants are positioned to compete for Pakistan Navy modernization programs, including next-generation frigates, UAV integrations, and submarine support packages, while Pakistan offers hydrographic and operational data from the Arabian Sea for Turkish unmanned systems.

In a global environment marked by US strategic recalibration toward the Indo-Pacific and Russia’s ongoing attrition in Ukraine, the Pak-Turkey axis offers both states a platform for defence resilience beyond traditional alliance structures.

Critics in Athens may describe the exercise as “provocative,” yet Ankara and Islamabad view it through the lens of defensive realism, particularly when regional pipelines, underwater cables, and energy grids have emerged as targets of hybrid warfare.

Turkey’s formidable naval grouping — including Barbaros-class frigates, the Reis-class submarine, minehunters, and replenishment vessels — merges with Pakistan’s ATR-72 and potentially PNS Badr (F-22P class) to create a combined maritime ecosystem of steel, silicon, and shared doctrine.

Unmanned systems, such as ULAQ USVs and Pakistan’s expanding diver-based UUV initiatives, signal a shift toward hybrid naval warfare integrating AI-driven reconnaissance and autonomous strike capabilities.

Challenges persist, from Aegean weather disruptions to datalink latency issues and multilingual coordination barriers, compounded by the ever-present threat of cyber intrusion reminiscent of Red Sea cyber incidents in 2024.

Yet the anticipated doctrinal refinements after the exercise — including the possible creation of a joint Pak-Turkey task group for future CMF rotations — promise long-term dividends.

AMAN-2025 earlier showcased similar synergy with joint flypasts featuring ATR-72 and Turkish C-72 aircraft, underscoring the momentum behind this maritime partnership.

In sum, Dogu Akdeniz 2025 stands as more than an exercise; it is a maritime proclamation that underscores Pakistan and Turkey’s commitment to securing the seas through unified, interoperable, and technologically integrated naval power.

As the ATR-72’s engines roared across Dalaman, they echoed a singular message: unity breeds maritime strength, and for two nations spanning continents, this submarine hunt marks the front line of a more secure and interconnected maritime future. — DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA