Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan join forces in major military exercise
Regional Forces Test Joint Response to Modern Threats in Azerbaijan
Poinews.com – Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan have brought more than 3,500 personnel together for their first joint military exercise on Azerbaijani territory, using scenarios designed around the changing character of conflict. The “Power of Unity-2026” drills included simulated drone swarms, electronic attacks, cyber incidents, disinformation campaigns, border-security operations and a mission to retake a vessel.
The exercise was staged across several locations, including Baku, the Karabakh region, Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea. Its central activities were held in the Hojavend district of Karabakh, while the Qızılqaya training area hosted major manoeuvres involving unmanned platforms, artillery and armoured formations.
Unmanned systems at the centre of the drills
Drones were a major feature of the training, reflecting their expanding role in surveillance, logistics and combat operations. Forces rehearsed methods for countering coordinated drone attacks, including strikes directed at military columns moving through contested terrain. Personnel also used unmanned aircraft for reconnaissance, monitoring possible border crossings and transporting ammunition and supplies.
More than 130 unmanned vehicles were deployed during the exercise. The equipment package also included over 70 armoured vehicles, more than 90 artillery systems and upwards of 20 aviation assets. Rather than treating these capabilities separately, the drills combined them in coordinated operations involving artillery fire, aircraft, electronic warfare and ground manoeuvre.
Troops practised penetrating defensive lines, crossing anti-tank trenches, removing mines and advancing behind armoured vehicles. These conventional battlefield tasks were paired with responses to less traditional threats, including simulated cyberattacks and online disinformation intended to disrupt operations.
The programme also included operations in mountainous areas against positions described as terrorist targets. Participants trained to clear settlements, establish checkpoints and use drones to identify and halt attempted illegal crossings at the border. The mix of land, air, naval and digital scenarios highlighted an approach to readiness that extends beyond conventional force-on-force combat.
Caspian Sea scenarios broaden the exercise
Training moved beyond land operations into the Caspian Sea, where forces conducted scenarios involving the release of a vessel and an offshore installation. Other tasks included rescuing hostages, landing personnel on shore and neutralising a simulated terrorist base.
These maritime elements underlined the importance of joint coordination across different environments. A single exercise brought together forces working on the ground, in the air, at sea and in the electronic domain, requiring participating units to operate with compatible plans and communications.
Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, said the exercise covered land, naval and air missions intended to improve the combat readiness of the armed forces involved. Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov, said the personnel had shown “high combat readiness” and an ability to carry out tasks collectively.
Ministers underline preparedness and cooperation
Turkey’s Defence Minister Yaşar Güler praised the organisation and conduct of the exercise while stressing the importance of maintaining military capability during a period of geopolitical change.
“We will prepare in the best possible way, but we will live in peace.”
The three-country exercise comes as Azerbaijan and Turkey continue to frame their defence relationship as an alliance under the 2021 Shusha Declaration. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have also been broadening their ties in military cooperation, defence technology and military education.
Observers from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates and Iran attended the drills. Their presence gave the exercise a wider regional dimension, even though the active participants were the forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Shusha meeting focuses on regional security
After the exercise, defence officials from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia met in Shusha for the 13th trilateral defence meeting between the three countries. Hasanov was joined by Türkiye’s National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani.
The meeting addressed military collaboration, regional security and the future of trilateral relations. It followed a long-standing format linking the three neighbouring states through defence dialogue, with Shusha serving as the venue for this latest session.
Hasanov described the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey framework as “an important platform for regional stability, security, and development”. The statement connected the military exercise with wider efforts to maintain security cooperation among states located along important regional transport, energy and strategic corridors.
For the participating armies, “Power of Unity-2026” offered a practical test of how units from different national forces can work together when facing rapidly evolving threats. The exercise’s focus on drones, electronic warfare, cyber disruption and maritime security suggested that future training will need to integrate conventional military operations with challenges that can emerge across physical and digital spaces at the same time.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Azerbaijan Turkey and Uzbekistan join forces?Azerbaijan Turkey and Uzbekistan join forces is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Azerbaijan Turkey and Uzbekistan join forces matter?Azerbaijan Turkey and Uzbekistan join forces matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.