Anatolian Wolf angers Poseidon
The eastern Mediterranean and especially the Aegean Sea is considered one of the hottest areas of controversies between Greece and Turkey. A number of conflicts strongly affected the Greek-Turkish relations since the 1970s.
In May and June 2021, a series of exercises were held in the area. Sea Wolf 2021, a Turkish Navy exercise was held from 25 May to 6 June 2021 and Poseidon’s Rage 2021, a joint Greece-US Military exercise from 28 May to 11 June 2021.
Sea Wolf 2021 (Denizkurdu 2021)
The objective of this exercise was to test the management, efficiency, judgment, foresight, and decision-making abilities of the Turkish naval forces. It also measured the capabilities of coordination with air and land forces and public institutions. Sea Wolf 2021 is the second exercise on this scale, the first one was held in May 2019.
Next to a large number of warships, the exercise also saw the participation of (unmanned) aircraft and helicopters of the Türk Deniz Hava Komutanlığı (Turkish Navy) and fighter aircraft the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (TurAF, Turkish Air Force).
The exercise was divided in three phases. PHASE-1 "Operational Preparation" (from 25 to 27 May) included all aspects from a naval defence perspective, like Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Air Warfare/Air Defence (AW/AD), Amphibious Warfare, Mine Warfare, Electronic Warfare (EW), Live Firing, Joint Training, Coastal Troops Training, Submarine Personnel Rescue Training, Maritime Control Operation, and Asymmetric Threat Training.
PHASE-2 "Free Play" was held between 28 May and 2 June. This phase handled crisis management training based on a scenario of the capture of an island or a beach by soldiers backed by (unmanned) aircraft and helicopters. This part of the training was completely controlled by the Exercise Control Center of the Naval Warfare Centre.
PHASE-3 "Distinguished Observer Day and Harbour Visits" (from 2 to 6 June). In the last phase of the exercise, a total of 83 warships conducted 22 port visits in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Participating units were:
Poseidon's Rage 2021 (PR 2021)
This joint Greece-US Military exercise was held between May 28 and June 11 in many areas throughout Greece. At Chania/Ioannis Daskalogiannis air base (Soúda Bay, Isle of Crete) the based F-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcons from 340 Mira and 343 Mira were joined by US Air Force Europe 492nd Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath (UK). Also F-16C/Ds from 335 Mira at Araxos joined the exercise, but it is unknown if they operated out of Crete.
The main objective of the exercise was to simulate all types of military operations in the eastern Mediterranean by means of aviation and warships. Training at low altitudes, attacks on ground and surface targets, aerial combat, as well as missions of complex air operations (Composite Air Operation-COMAO) were part of PR 2021.
The exercise also dealt with Close Air Support (CAS) missions, in collaboration with the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) of the Army and Special Warfare Command (DEP) and with an Air Defence Exercise (ADEX) with the participation of navy warships.
Photos by Turkish MoD and Greek MoD