Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB3 UCAV completes munitions integration tests

The Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, which recently made history by taking off and landing on a short-runway vessel, has achieved another major milestone in its development by beginning munitions integration tests.

On Thursday, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV departed from the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, with two Roketsan MAM-T munitions onboard.

The aircraft successfully launched its first strike using Aselsan’s Aselflir-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System, hitting its designated target with pinpoint accuracy.

Now an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, the Bayraktar TB3 will continue its payload and munitions integration tests as part of its ongoing development process, in line with the predetermined timeline.

Made aviation history

One of Baykar’s indigenous and original products, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, successfully took off from the short runway of TCG Anadolu, which is equipped with a 12-degree ramp, on Nov. 19, 2024.

After completing a 46-minute test flight at the intersection of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean, the aircraft landed back on the same short runway with no landing support equipment—an unprecedented achievement worldwide. Shortly after, the Bayraktar TB3 continued its sea trials, completing a second takeoff and landing sequence aboard TCG Anadolu off the coast of Canakkale, again without landing support equipment.

Baykar’s indigenous UCAV, having passed all test parameters, successfully completed the test after cruising at an average altitude of 20,000 feet.

To new heights with indigenous engine

On June 25, 2024, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully passed its High-Altitude System Performance Test at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, reaching an altitude of 36,310 feet.

Powered by TEI’s indigenous PD-170 engine, Baykar’s homegrown aircraft achieved yet another significant milestone. The Bayraktar Akinci UCAV, also developed indigenously by Baykar, currently holds Türkiye’s altitude record with a remarkable 45,118 feet.

887+ flight hours

To date, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV has accumulated 887 hours and 23 minutes of flight time during its test flights. In a long-range flight test on December 20, 2023, the indigenous aircraft remained airborne for 32 consecutive hours, covering a total distance of 5,700 kilometers.

Indigenous UCAV, indigenous camera

The Bayraktar TB3 UCAV completed its first flight with Aselsan’s indigenous Aselflir-500 on March 26, 2024. During the test, the Aselflir-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System—which outperforms its global competitors—was successfully integrated into the aircraft.

Overseas force multiplier

The Bayraktar TB3 UCAV will lead its class with its foldable wings and advanced capabilities. Equipped with beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communication, this indigenous aircraft can be controlled from distant locations.

With this capability, the Bayraktar TB3 will serve as a force multiplier for Türkiye’s deterrence, enabling it to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and strike missions against overseas targets using its smart munitions.

Export champion

Since its establishment, Baykar has financed all its projects with its resources and has generated 83% of its total revenue from exports since launching its UAV R&D program in 2003. In 2023, the company exported $1.8 billion worth of goods and services, ranking among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters across all sectors.

Baykar received the prestigious Export Champions Award and led the Turkish defense and aviation sectors in exports in 2021, 2022, and 2023, according to the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). In recent years, more than 90% of Baykar’s revenue has come from exports, with the company single-handedly accounting for one-third of Türkiye’s defense and aviation exports in 2023.

Currently, 97.5% of Baykar’s contracts—now the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle company—are export-driven.

To date, the company has signed export agreements with 35 countries, including 34 for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 10 for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.