Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB3, a Baykar-developed domestically manufactured uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), has completed tests by taking off and landing on a short-runway warship TCG Anadolu.
It is said to be the first of its kind operations for the UAV.
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Following successful ski-jump tests, the Bayraktar TB3 was cleared for operational deployment aboard the warship.
The drone conducted both day and night close-range flights to TCG Anadolu, completing ‘Approach Tests’ without any issues.
During the flight, the Bayraktar TB3, after its open-sea shipboard tests, took off from the short runway of TCG Anadolu, which features a 12o inclined ramp.
The 46-minute flight over the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas concluded with a landing on the same short runway without needing any landing support equipment.
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By GlobalDataOn 25 June 2024, during a test flight at Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Centre, Bayraktar TB3 completed its high-altitude system performance test, reaching 36,310 feet.
After successful tests in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, the UCAV moved to Keşan, where it completed its first ski-jump test on 1 June 2024.
The Keşan facility also features a 12o ramp.
In December 2023, Bayraktar TB3 completed an endurance test, remaining airborne for 32 hours and covering a distance of 5,700km.
Since the start of test flights, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV has flown for 823 hours.
On 26 March 2024, it was equipped with the ASELFLIR-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System, developed by Aselsan, which was integrated into the aircraft during the test.
With its foldable wings and advanced capabilities, the Bayraktar TB3 features beyond line of sight communication, enabling operation from vast distances.
