For the first time: the Syrian army participates in international military drills outside the country
The massive EFES 2026 military drills held in Türkiye marked a historic turning point for the Syrian military, which participated for the first time outside its borders.
This unprecedented step represents a qualitative leap and a pivotal moment in the Syrian army’s trajectory, as it appears for the first time in its modern history in multinational exercises, reflecting new strategic dimensions and a significant development in the nature and scale of the Syrian military presence on the regional and international stage.
The EFES 2026 military drills, involving land, sea, and air forces from numerous countries, are among the most prominent military events in the region.
These drills aim to enhance operational coordination and the exchange of expertise among participating armies in environments that simulate modern combat conditions.
International presence and the development and expansion of cooperation channels, as the Syrian Army clarified in an official statement that the participation aims to enhancing the presence of the Syrian military establishment in foreign events, expanding channels of cooperation and communication with other armies, benefiting from modern training and organizational experiences, in order to support development and restructuring paths, and Airborne landing and coordination between ground, naval, and air forces.
The exercises included advanced field scenarios, most notably: Air and ground landing operations; Joint coordination between land, sea and air forces; Training in managing joint operations and working within multinational military formations.
An important platform for exchanging expertise and enhancing combat readiness, the organizers confirmed that the participation of Syrian army units aims to strengthen the external military presence, in addition to benefiting from Turkish and international expertise in training and organization.
The EFES 2026 drills are attracting widespread attention due to the size of the participating forces and the nature of the training, which simulates modern combat operations, making it a vital platform for exchanging expertise and raising readiness levels.
