Istanbul: Trkiye's premier technology event's maritime leg, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, will kick off Thursday to showcase the country's naval capabilities, underwater technology, and defense industry during the four-day expo.

According to Anadolu Agency, the event will display a wide range of products and technologies, including various classes of Turkish Navy platforms, unmanned systems, aircraft, air defense, and missile systems. The competition section will feature events in unmanned underwater systems, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and underwater rockets.

The expo will showcase 37 different naval assets and platforms, featuring vessels from the Turkish Navy's active inventory. Highlights include Trkiye's largest military ship, the TCG Anadolu, the historic TCG Savarona, the museum ship Yavuz, and various active submarine platforms. A major feature of the event will be the National Submarine (MILDEN) test block, marking a milestone in Trkiye's submarine development.

Cutting-edge USVs such as Ares Shipyard and Meteksan's Ulaq, Havelsan's Sancar, Aselsan's Marlin, and Dearsan Shipyard's Salvo platforms will also be on display. The aerial section will feature Baykar's Bayraktar TB2 and TB3, Aselsan's Aselbuoy and Aselbuoy Pod systems, the Turkish Navy's Sikorsky SH-70 Seahawk helicopter, and the Turkish Armed Forces' Bell AH-1W platform.

The event will also highlight modular and remote systems from the defense industry, including MKE's Pirana, Havelsan's Barkan 2, Baha, and Bulut systems, Roketsan's Levent, Aselsan's Tufan, and the Turkish Navy's Submarine Modular Armored Control Boat. Trkiye's multi-layered air defense system, the Steel Dome air defense network, will feature prominently, showcasing Aselsan's Gurz, Korkut, and Goksungur systems alongside the Siper and Hisar networks developed by Aselsan and Roketsan.

Roketsan's missile and weapon systems, including the K+, Tayfun, KMC, and Pusu, will also be on display. The four-day event will include daily flight demonstrations and tactical shows by elite SAT and SAS naval units. The festival will incorporate maritime culture and science, hosting the Blue Homeland Sailing Parade, dragon boat and swimming races, a Da Vinci Robot operation demonstration, and more.