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The Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle successfully completed fully autonomous takeoff and landing operations with artificial intelligence assistance aboard the TCG Anadolu naval vessel, marking a significant advancement in drone technology and naval aviation capabilities.
Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar shared footage of the historic moments on social media, showcasing the drone's AI-supported autonomous operations on the Turkish Navy's landing helicopter dock.
The Bayraktar TB3 has accumulated 1,080 hours and 14 minutes of total flight time across all test flights conducted to date. The indigenous drone has completed 551 sorties during its testing phase, with 42 sorties specifically performed aboard the TCG Anadolu vessel.
In a notable endurance test conducted on Dec. 20, 2023, the drone remained airborne for 32 hours without landing and covered 5,700 kilometers in the sky, demonstrating exceptional operational capabilities.
The Bayraktar TB3 made aviation history with its first successful test flight aboard the TCG Anadolu on Nov. 19, 2024, while the vessel was sailing off Aksaz, Mugla.
Subsequent flight tests conducted on Nov. 26, 2024, were also completed successfully, establishing the drone as the first of its kind to operate from a short-deck naval vessel.
The TB3 has proven its combat effectiveness through successful weapons testing. On March 25 and 27, 2025, the drone achieved direct hits on maritime targets using the IHA-122 supersonic missile developed by Roketsan.
In the March 27 test, the drone successfully destroyed a 6x6 meter curtain target while operating below line-of-sight altitude, with target designation provided by a Bayraktar TB2 drone using laser marking.
These tests demonstrated coordinated mission capabilities between two different drone systems, showcasing advanced tactical integration.
During the ongoing Seawolf-II/2025 naval exercise, two Bayraktar TB3 drones designated PT-3 and PT-4 launched from the TCG Anadolu and successfully struck designated ground targets using Roketsan's MAM-L munitions. The operation marked the first known deployment of TB3s in a fully loaded configuration.
Each drone carried a 162-kilogram (357.1-pound) payload, including two MAM-L smart micro munitions weighing 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) each and an Aselfir-600 sensor system.
The drones used Aselsan's indigenous ASELFLIR-500 electro-optical targeting system to detect and hit targets with precision accuracy before returning safely to the vessel.
The Bayraktar TB3's foldable wings and beyond-line-of-sight communication capability provide Türkiye with significant operational advantages for long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and strike missions against overseas targets.
Previous weapons integration efforts included successful test fires with Roketsan's MAM-T munitions on Jan. 17, 2025, when the TB3 launched from BAYKAR's Flight Training and Test Center in Kesan and conducted direct-hit strikes.
In April 2025, the drone performed four sortie missions to the TCG Anadolu while the vessel sailed through the Gulf of Saros, further validating its naval operational capabilities.
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