A Turkish naval task group led by the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu has deployed under the NATO Allied Reaction Force to take part in exercise STEADFAST DART 2026. According to NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, the Anadolu Turkish Maritime Task Group sailed earlier this month and is expected to arrive in Rota, Spain on 29 January in support of the alliance’s largest exercise of the year. The deployment marks Türkiye’s contribution to the first large-scale peacetime employment of NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force. The task group comprises the landing helicopter dock TCG Anadolu, logistics support ship TCG Derya, I-class frigate TCG İstanbul, and Barbaros-class frigate TCG Oruçreis. In addition to surface combatants, the Turkish task group brings amphibious assault vehicles, embarked aviation assets and unmanned systems, enabling joint maritime and littoral operations alongside allied forces.