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Two Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), developed by Turkish defense firm Baykar, launched from the TCG Anadolu landing helicopter dock (LHD), successfully struck designated ground targets using Roketsan’s MAM-L munitions during the ongoing Seawolf-II/2025 (DENIZKURDU-II 2025) naval exercise.
The two drones, designated PT-3 and PT-4, took off from the short-decked TCG Anadolu and used Aselsan's indigenous Aselfir-500 electro-optical targeting system to detect and hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy. Both UCAVs returned safely to the vessel following the strike.
The launch marked the first known operation of Bayraktar TB3s in a fully loaded configuration, each carrying a 162 kilogram payload—including two MAM-L smart micro munitions (22 kg each) and an Aselfir-600 sensor system.
According to Baykar, the TB3 is the world’s first UCAV capable of takeoff and landing from short-runway ships. The latest test is considered a major milestone in enhancing the drone’s operational capacity from naval platforms.
Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci commented on the test via social media, saying, "Precision through joint strength. The Bayraktar TB3, launched from TCG Anadolu with our MAM-L munition, struck its target with perfect accuracy."
On May 9, the PT-3 and PT-4 drones were deployed from Kesan to the TCG Anadolu. Following the transfer, onboard ammunition loading trials were successfully conducted.
Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar posted video footage on May 11 showing the TB3 prototypes performing consecutive takeoffs and landings on the vessel. In the visuals, the drones were visibly armed with MAM-L munitions under their wings.
"As part of the preparation flights for the DENIZKURDU-II exercise, the Bayraktar TB3s PT-3 and PT-4 have been transferred from Kesan to TCG Anadolu," he noted.
The TB3s participated in the large-scale Seawolf-II/2025 exercise conducted by the Turkish Naval Forces Command across the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The successful strike on a land target was viewed as a major achievement in developing the TB3’s combat performance from maritime platforms with short runways.
Bayraktar TB3 continues weapons integration efforts, having already carried out successful test fires with Roketsan’s MAM-T and the IHA-122 supersonic missile. On Jan. 17, 2025, the TB3 launched from Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center in Kesan and conducted a direct-hit strike using two MAM-T munitions.
In April, the drone also performed four sortie missions to the TCG Anadolu while the vessel was sailing through the Gulf of Saros.
Bayraktar TB3 performed its first successful test flight with TCG Anadolu on Nov. 19, 2024. On April 22, 2025, it completed fully autonomous takeoff and landing tests from the short-deck ship.
Baykar noted that, with its foldable wings and beyond-line-of-sight communication capability, the TB3 will provide Türkiye with a significant operational advantage, enabling long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and strike missions against overseas targets.
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