More than 3,500 troops from Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan have taken part in a major multinational military exercise designed to test responses to drone attacks, cyber operations, disinformation and maritime security threats. The drills, held across several Azerbaijani training areas, highlight growing defence cooperation in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
The exercise, known as “Power of Unity-2026”, brought the three militaries together in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region for the first time. Other countries, including Iran, attended as observers, giving the training a wider regional dimension.
What happened during the Power of Unity exercise?
The exercise was conducted at locations including the Hojavend district, Baku, Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan’s section of the Caspian Sea. It combined conventional battlefield operations with scenarios reflecting newer security challenges.
According to the information released about the drills, participating forces used:
- More than 130 unmanned vehicles
- Over 70 armoured vehicles
- More than 90 artillery systems
- More than 20 aviation assets
Troops practised responding to drone swarms, protecting advancing military formations and using unmanned systems for surveillance and the delivery of ammunition and supplies. The training also included electronic warfare, artillery coordination and armoured manoeuvres.
Ground units rehearsed breaching defensive positions, crossing anti-tank trenches, clearing minefields and advancing through contested areas. Other scenarios involved operations in mountainous terrain, clearing settlements and establishing checkpoints.
Cybersecurity, disinformation and maritime scenarios
The drills also reflected the expanding scope of modern military planning. Participants responded to simulated cyberattacks and online disinformation campaigns, alongside conventional battlefield situations.
At the Caspian Sea training locations, forces practised operations to free a vessel and an offshore facility, rescue hostages and conduct a landing operation against a simulated terrorist position. The exercise also included the use of drones to identify and stop attempted border crossings.
These activities show how military exercises increasingly combine land, air, maritime, cyber and information operations. Rather than focusing only on traditional armoured warfare, the training tested how different capabilities could be coordinated during a complex crisis.
Defence cooperation between the participating countries
Azerbaijan and Türkiye describe their defence relationship as an alliance under the 2021 Shusha Declaration. The two countries have held close military ties and regularly conduct joint training.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have also expanded cooperation in defence technology, military education and broader military relations. The latest exercise gave their forces an opportunity to practise operating alongside Türkiye in a larger trilateral format.
Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler said the exercise demonstrated the importance of military readiness while also stressing the objective of maintaining peace. Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov said the land, naval and air activities were intended to strengthen the combat readiness of the participating armies.
Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister Lieutenant General Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov said the participating personnel had shown a high level of readiness and an ability to carry out missions together.
Which countries attended as observers?
The exercise included observers from a broader group of countries. Those listed as observers were:
- Iran
- Kyrgyzstan
- Pakistan
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Tajikistan
- Georgia
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
Observer participation does not mean that those countries joined the military operations. Their presence nevertheless underlined the regional interest in the exercise and its focus on shared security challenges.
Regional security discussions continue in Shusha
Following the military exercise, defence officials from Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Georgia met in Shusha for the 13th trilateral defence meeting. The discussions covered military cooperation, regional security and relations among the three countries.
Georgia did not take part in the trilateral Power of Unity exercise involving Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan. Its separate meeting with Azerbaijan and Türkiye focused on a different three-country cooperation format.
Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov described Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye cooperation as a platform for regional stability, security and development. The meeting added a diplomatic and regional-cooperation dimension to the military activity.
Why the exercise matters
The training comes as governments across the wider region place greater emphasis on unmanned systems, electronic warfare, cyber resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure. Drone operations have become increasingly important in contemporary conflicts, while cyberattacks and disinformation can affect military and civilian systems without a conventional attack.
For Azerbaijan, the exercise also demonstrated the use of multiple training environments, from mountainous terrain and land borders to the Caspian Sea. For Türkiye and Uzbekistan, it provided an opportunity to test interoperability with a partner operating across those environments.
The exercise is not an announcement of a new mutual-defence treaty among all three participating countries. It was a military training activity intended to improve coordination and readiness. Its longer-term importance will depend on whether the countries build on the exercise through further training, defence-technology cooperation or formal agreements.
What happens next?
The immediate exercise has concluded, but the participating countries are likely to use its results to assess operational coordination, communications and the integration of unmanned systems. The separate defence meeting in Shusha also indicates that regional military cooperation will remain part of wider diplomatic discussions.
For European observers, the development is relevant because it reflects shifting security relationships around the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. It also shows how countries outside the European Union are adapting their military planning to threats that cross borders and extend beyond traditional combat.
The key takeaway: Power of Unity-2026 brought Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan together for a broad military exercise covering drones, cyberattacks, disinformation, border security and maritime operations. The drills strengthened practical cooperation, while the participation of observers and follow-up talks in Shusha pointed to wider regional interest in security partnerships.
