Neptune Strike 25.3

Neptune Strike 25.3 is a multinational NATO naval exercise conducted simultaneously in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Baltic, and North Seas from 22 to 26 September 2025. More than 10,000 personnel from 13 countries, along with aircraft carriers amphibious ships submarines and air assets, are participating in the exercise.

^{Turkish Naval Forces’ Anadolu Task Group is participating in the Neptune Strike 25.3 exercise 25 September 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Neptune Strike 25.3 is being executed under NATO’s planned Enhanced Vigilance Activities. The exercise began on 22 September 2025 and will continue until 26 September 2025.

The geographical scope of the exercise is extensive. The Mediterranean Adriatic North Sea and Baltic Sea have been designated as simultaneous operational areas. Coordinated operations are being conducted by joint task groups in these regions.

A total of 13 allied nations are contributing naval land air and amphibious elements to Neptune Strike 25.3. The number of participating personnel exceeds 10,000. Participating countries include Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Italy Lithuania Norway Poland Türkiye Sweden the United Kingdom and the United States.

The primary objectives of the exercise include integrating high-intensity naval warfare capabilities under NATO command strengthening deterrence ensuring freedom of navigation in critical sea lanes and securing strategic straits. Another key goal is testing joint operational capabilities among air land and naval forces.

The exercise is currently ongoing with multinational task groups continuing their activities according to predefined scenarios.

Neptune Strike 25.3 is led by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) which was established to command and control NATO’s high-intensity naval operations. STRIKFORNATO’s permanent headquarters is located in Oeiras Portugal. The exercise is commanded by U.S. Rear Admiral Jeffrey T. Anderson who is responsible for integrating NATO naval forces under a unified command and control structure.

In this context NATO is exercising operational control over a Carrier Strike Group. This enables the coordinated command and control of the aircraft carrier and its associated assets alongside allied naval and amphibious units within a single operational chain.

Allied forces participating in the exercise are organized according to a joint operational plan under NATO command. Carrier strike groups amphibious forces submarines surface combatants and air assets are conducting simultaneous operations in designated operational areas. This structure has been designed to test and enhance interoperability among units from different nations.

Neptune Strike 25.3 involves various categories of naval and air platforms. Key assets include the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Türkiye’s amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu Italy’s landing ship ITS San Giorgio and the U.S. command and control ship USS Mount Whitney.

In addition to these vessels NATO member states have contributed destroyers frigates submarines and air assets to the exercise. The diversity of participating forces enables testing of joint capabilities in both surface and underwater operations as well as air missions.

The participating nations include Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Italy Lithuania Norway Poland Türkiye Sweden the United Kingdom and the United States. Assets provided by these countries are directed to different operational areas under NATO command to execute synchronized missions.

Neptune Strike 25.3 features multidimensional operational scenarios. Key activities include carrier-based air operations amphibious assault operations submarine patrols surface warfare and mass casualty evacuation drills.

The air component of the exercise is being conducted by the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group deployed in the North Sea. This group enables the coordinated management of maritime air operations while also testing the integration of air assets from different allied nations.

A significant element of the exercise’s land-sea dimension is the planned amphibious assault operations in southern Italy. Amphibious assault ships landing craft and marine units are conducting coordinated landing operations. These scenarios are designed to reflect realistic combat conditions.

Another dimension of the exercise involves anti-submarine warfare and patrol activities. Allied submarines are conducting transit missions and anti-submarine threat defense drills in various regions. Additionally joint scenarios are being executed through surface warfare operations involving frigates and destroyers.

Under the health and logistics component of the exercise mass casualty evacuation drills are being conducted. These drills simulate the transfer of large numbers of casualties from sea to air and land assets in the context of large-scale combat environments.

Türkiye is participating in Neptune Strike 25.3 with its Anadolu Task Group. The task group comprises TCG Anadolu TCG Gökova TCG Gökçeada TCG I. İnönü submarine five helicopters five Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicles (ZAHA) four landing craft eight boats one Submarine Assault Team (SAT) one first-class diver team and an amphibious marine battalion. These elements represent the core components of Türkiye’s naval power in the exercise.

^{Turkish Naval Forces’ Anadolu Task Group is participating in the Neptune Strike 25.3 exercise 25 September 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

During the exercise the Anadolu Task Group is participating in various training and operational activities including small arms firing maritime surveillance amphibious rehearsals amphibious raids anti-submarine warfare mass casualty evacuation and loading and unloading operations. These scenarios test the coordination between amphibious and maritime air assets.

The exercise also highlights Türkiye’s commitments within NATO. Since 1 July 2025 Türkiye has assumed command of the NATO Allied Response Force Amphibious Task Force and Landing Force. In this capacity Amphibious Task Force Commander Vice Admiral Mevlüt Savaş Bilican is fulfilling command responsibilities during the exercise.

Turkish Naval Forces units are conducting joint training with other allied naval elements. The Turkish frigate TCG Barbaros which is assigned to NATO’s Standing Naval Force Mediterranean 2 (SNMG-2) has conducted coordinated transit exercises with the Italian frigate ITS Carlo Bergamini and the amphibious ship ITS San Giorgio.

During the exercise’s media day event international journalists were hosted aboard TCG Anadolu and a joint transit demonstration was conducted with allied vessels.

The Neptune Strike exercises are part of a concept developed by NATO under Project Neptune in 2020. This concept was designed to integrate high-intensity naval warfare capabilities among allies enhance joint operational reach over long distances and strengthen NATO’s deterrence in strategic maritime regions.

The Neptune Strike series is conducted as a planned sequence of exercises at regular intervals. Earlier in 2025 Neptune Strike 25.2 was carried out from 24 July to 1 August 2025. That exercise also took place in the Mediterranean and European maritime areas testing multinational joint operational scenarios.

Neptune Strike 25.3 is the third iteration of this series and is being conducted with broader participation and more diverse operational scenarios. It has been emphasized that the exercise was prepared through long-term planning is entirely defensive in nature and fully compliant with international law.