Baykar’s indigenously developed Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has reached a new milestone during its testing operations aboard Türkiye’s multi-purpose amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. The TB3, recognized as the world’s first UCAV capable of fully autonomous takeoff and landing on a short-runway ship, successfully completed 100 sorties, solidifying its place as a revolutionary platform in naval aviation.

Between May 28 and June 2, 2025, Bayraktar TB3 underwent advanced trials on TCG Anadolu, testing its AI-assisted vision-based automatic takeoff and landing system. The system successfully executed key functions such as runway detection, aircraft carrier recognition, visual path tracking, and approach angle estimation. Following the tests, the TB3 units with tail numbers PT-3 and PT-4 returned from the Muğla Aksaz region to Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan.

With this achievement, Bayraktar TB3’s total sortie count has reached 709, logging 1,167 hours and 8 minutes of flight time since testing began. During a long-endurance mission on December 20, 2023, TB3 flew continuously for 32 hours, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometers — a record-breaking demonstration of endurance and reliability.

In addition to flight trials, Bayraktar TB3 showcased its combat capabilities during the DENİZKURDU-2025 Naval Exercise on May 14, 2025, performing twin salvo strikes with Roketsan’s MAM-L smart munitions from TCG Anadolu. Both targets were destroyed with pinpoint accuracy, highlighting the UCAV’s operational precision. Earlier, in March 2025, TB3 successfully fired Roketsan’s IHA-122 supersonic missile against maritime targets, coordinated mid-air with a Bayraktar TB2 conducting laser designation — marking another global first in multi-UCAV cooperation.

Powered by TEI’s domestically developed PD-170 turbodiesel engine, Bayraktar TB3 also set an altitude record on June 25, 2024, reaching 36,310 feet. Its foldable wings and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communication capabilities allow the TB3 to operate efficiently from short-deck naval platforms like TCG Anadolu, extending Türkiye’s reach across seas.

Once integrated into active service, Bayraktar TB3 will act as a force multiplier for Türkiye’s naval power, capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strike missions against distant targets — strengthening the nation’s deterrence and maritime dominance.