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Türkiye's ship-based unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Bayraktar TB3, demonstrated remarkable performance during NATO's Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, flying an eight-hour joint mission with Eurofighter jets and covering 1,700 kilometers.
Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar announced that the TB3 took off from TCG Anadolu during an exercise in the Baltic region and conducted coordinated operations alongside Eurofighter aircraft.
"The long-endurance flight demonstrated the platform's durability, communication capabilities, and ability to operate in joint missions," Bayraktar noted.
Operating in the Baltic region—characterized by dense air traffic and integrated NATO air operations—the TB3's coordinated mission with Eurofighters highlighted Türkiye's unmanned systems' compliance with NATO standardization requirements.
The joint mission also demonstrated that Türkiye's defense industry has reached a level of maturity in unmanned systems that enables integration into alliance operations.
The exercise with Eurofighter aircraft serves as a test of future combat concepts in which manned and unmanned platforms are expected to operate together.
The demonstration holds particular significance as Türkiye proceeds with its Eurofighter Typhoon acquisition. Once the jets enter Turkish Air Force (TurAF) inventory, interoperability with platforms like the TB3 will become critical.
Türkiye signed an £8 billion ($10.7 billion) deal with the U.K. last October to purchase 20 newly built Eurofighter Typhoon jets—a move described by the British government as "a good model for all NATO allies to follow."
Türkiye is also in discussions to acquire second-hand Eurofighters from Qatar and Oman to meet immediate needs while the new-build aircraft are produced.
In a related development, Baykar's Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) successfully completed a test flight using Aselsan's domestically developed MURAD Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol commented on the development, saying, "Our integrated air capabilities, developed through the combined power of national engineering, continue to prove their effectiveness in the field."
While the MURAD radar has recently been more associated with the Kizilelma unmanned fighter aircraft (UFA), testing continues with the Akinci platform.
The AESA-equipped Akinci will provide situational awareness and rapid-response capability against kamikaze drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, and turboprop light-attack aircraft.
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