Bayraktar TB3 conducts successful autonomous sorties from TCG Anadolu

Bayraktar TB3, the world’s first armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of operating from short-runway naval ships, successfully completed four autonomous sorties from Türkiye’s flagship TCG Anadolu multi-purpose amphibious ship, according to a statement by drone manufacturer Baykar.

The test was conducted in the Saros Bay as part of an ongoing campaign to validate full autonomous take-off and landing capabilities.

Each sortie, including one conducted at sunset, was carried out without any landing assistance equipment, marking another technological first.

AI-powered flight system enables precision operations

The sorties were executed with the support of artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Baykar. These systems allowed the drone to perform fully autonomous launches and landings on a moving ship platform.

According to Baykar, TB3 has now logged 1,016 flight hours in total, including a 32-hour endurance flight in December 2023 that covered 5,700 kilometers (3,541.8 miles) without landing.

Bayraktar TB3’s operational milestones

Bayraktar TB3 achieved its first take-off and landing on TCG Anadolu on Nov. 19, 2024, off the coast of Aksaz, followed by additional successful flights on Nov. 26.

The drone’s combat capabilities were also tested on March 25 and 27, 2025, using the Roketsan-developed IHA-122 supersonic missile.

One test demonstrated TB3’s precision strike ability below line-of-sight altitude, targeting a 6×6-meter area, with the target designated by a Bayraktar TB2 in the air—showcasing joint drone operations.

In a high-altitude test on June 25, 2024, TB3 reached 36,310 feet at Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center in Kesan, powered by the locally developed TEI PD-170 engine. While this performance is significant, the national altitude record of 45,118 feet is held by the Bayraktar Akinci UCAV.

Strategic capabilities and technological edge

On March 26, 2024, TB3 flew with the ASELFLIR-500, an electro-optical reconnaissance and targeting system developed by Aselsan. Baykar noted the system outperforms international peers in its class.

With folding wings and beyond-visual-line-of-sight communication capabilities, Bayraktar TB3 is expected to become the leading armed UAV in its class once commissioned.

The drone will be able to operate over extended distances, enabling surveillance, intelligence gathering, and strike missions against overseas targets, significantly enhancing Türkiye’s deterrence capacity.

Günün son sortisi…

Last sortie of the day…

Devamı gelecek. More to come.#BayraktarTB3 ✈️⚓️🚀

⚓️ TCG ANADOLU 🌊🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/yaAnAy5fH1

— Selçuk Bayraktar (@Selcuk) April 22, 2025

Baykar’s global expansion and export success

Since initiating its UAV R&D efforts in 2003, Baykar has conducted all its projects using self-funded resources.

In 2023, the company exported UAV systems worth $1.8 billion and was ranked among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters across all industries.

Baykar has signed export agreements with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 and with 11 countries for the Bayraktar Akinci. In 2024, the company continued to lead global drone exports, earning 90% of its revenue from foreign sales.

Baykar has been named Türkiye’s top defense and aerospace exporter for 2021, 2022, and 2023 by the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly.

In 2024, it accounted for one-quarter of the sector’s total exports, reinforcing its role as the world’s largest UAV exporter.