The Turkish naval ship TCG Büyükada conducted several exercises with international naval forces from Japan, Australia, Korea and Oman last week as part of the NATO counter-piracy operation “Ocean Shield.”
"Exercising with international forces while patrolling the joint area of operations enhances our interoperability and cooperation with our maritime partners,” said Vice Admiral Bruno Paulmier, deputy commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command. "These opportunities also prove valuable tests of the skills among these forces,” he added, according to a statement issued by NATO on Feb. 13.
The TCG Büyükada conducted replenishment-at-sea training with the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Success, a multi-product replenishment oiler.
The TCG Büyükada conducted exercises with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force's JS Harusame, an independent deployer that focuses on counter-piracy in the region, testing common procedures and maneuvers.
The TCG Büyükada had the opportunity to perform passing exercises, including maneuvering training and formation drills, with the Republic of Korea Navy's ROKS Dae Jo Yeong in the Arabian Sea. The TCG Büyükada also participated in drills focused on fire-fighting with the Royal Omani Navy. “This training is part of broader regional capacity-building activities with countries in the area of operations,” NATO said.
"Exercising with the Australian, Japanese, Korean and Omani navies over the course of a very busy week was highly beneficial for this crew, a contribution to strengthen cooperation among navies committed to counter-piracy,” said lieutenant commander of the TCG Büyükada Ali Tuna Baysal. "This deployment has provided us an excellent opportunity to work together with our partners, demonstrating the flexibility we are able to reach operating side-by-side," he added.