Hellenic Navy to monitor Turkiye’s ‘Blue Homeland’ exercise in the Aegean

The Hellenic Navy is closely monitoring developments in the Aegean, particularly in the area between Rhodes and Cyprus, which is expected to serve as the main operational zone for the Turkish fleet during the “Mavi Vatan” (Blue Homeland) exercise, set to begin on Tuesday.

The “Mavi Vatan 25” exercise is set to conclude on January 16 with an amphibious landing operation in the Aksaz region, directly across from Rhodes, where Turkiye’s naval base is located.

Hellenic Navy ships and submarines will closely observe the exercise scenarios and track the movements of Turkish vessels and aircraft, sources told Kathimerini.

According to Turkiye’s Ministry of Defense, the exercise will involve 87 ships, seven submarines, 31 aircraft, 17 helicopters, 28 UAVs, seven amphibious unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and 20,000 personnel from the Turkish Armed Forces.

In addition, the Hellenic Navy’s frigate Hydra is expected to return to the Red Sea as part of the European Union’s “Aspides” operation, which aims to protect international shipping lanes from attacks by pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The frigate is scheduled to depart from the Salamis Naval Base on Tuesday, heading toward the Suez Canal and then Djibouti. After refueling, it will proceed to its assigned area of responsibility in the southern Gulf of Aden.

Stavros Ioannidis-Kathimerini