ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye’s navies concluded their first-ever bilateral amphibious exercise in the port city of Karachi, aimed at enhancing “maritime collaboration and interoperability,” state media reported on Wednesday.
A naval amphibious exercise is a military drill that simulates the landing of troops from ships onto a coastline, designed to strengthen coordination and combat readiness for assaults, evacuations or disaster response operations.
The exercise featured combat firing techniques, amphibious operation drills, convoy escorting drills along with military operations in urban terrain.
“Live firing drills and close combat scenarios designed to sharpen tactical coordination and readiness in littoral environments were also a part of the exercise,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in its report.
“The exercise culminated with a comprehensive amphibious drill in the designated coastal area validating operational readiness of both navies.”
It added the bilateral exercise reflected the “deep-rooted” defense partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional peace through regular joint training.
Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf also visited to Türkiye recently, where he was conferred the prestigious Turkish military honor, the “Legion of Merit,” in recognition of his efforts to enhance maritime cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintain strong diplomatic, economic and defense relations.
Turkish defense firms have played a significant role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have also supplied Islamabad with advanced military equipment including drones
The two nations regularly hold joint military drills to boost cooperation and synergy. The last exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February, brought together special forces for combat training to enhance interoperability.
