Turkey’s Bayraktar TB3 drone makes maiden flight

Europe, Middle East, News October 31, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Turkish drone manufacturing company Baykar conducted successful flight tests of its Bayraktar TB3 drone. The naval variant of Turkey’s most successful drone witnessed another notable leap forward after it made its first high-speed roll and maiden flight.

The drone took to the skies for the first time last week after completing its high-speed rolling test. In a video posted by the company on social media platforms, the drone is seen departing from the hangar, followed by engineers engaged in preparing the drone before commencing the test. The test took place at the Corlu Flight Training and Test Center, which is located in northwest Turkey.

Compared to its predecessor, TB2, the Bayraktar TB3 features double the launch weight and payload capabilities. The company has not provided the details about whether it would carry its own specifically designed armaments, but increased capacity indicates that the Bayraktar TB3 would enable the drone to accommodate a broader spectrum of tools and armaments, thereby expanding its operational reach.

Key Features

Take off and landing capability from short-runway aircraft carriers
Fully autonomous take off and anding
Tactical Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) capabilities
24+ hours endurance

TB3 Turkish drone capabilities — *^{TB3 drone capabilities. (Image Credit: Baykar Technologies)}*

TB3 development and capabilities

Announced in 2021, the Bayraktar TB3’s development was based on the blueprints of Turkey’s most successful short rage drone, the Bayraktar TB2. The TB3 drone has a larger iteration and it is equipped with several advanced components specifically designed for reconnaissance and offensive operations.

TB3 exceeds its predecessor in all features including size. It measures 8.3 meters in length, and 2.6 meters in height, and has a 14-meter-wide wingspan that can be folded down to make it more compact for storage in the naval vessel. TB2, on the other hand, is 6.5 meters long, 2.2 meters high, and has a 12-meter-wide wingspan.

Moreover, TB3 can carry 280 kilograms of armament and equipment, compared to TB2’s 150-kilogram weight limit. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,450 kilograms, nearly double that of TB2 at 700 kilograms.

The TB3 drone has been designed to be able to conduct ship-based deployments aboard the Turkish universal landing vessel, L 400 TCG Anadolu. It features a collapsible wing design and an arresting hook.

Turkish fighter jet and drones on display — ^{Turkish unmanned fighter jet Kizilelma (bottom) and Akinci combat drone (top) on display at the aerospace and technology festival Teknofest, in Izmir, western Türkiye,on September 27, 2023. (Image Credit: Anadolu Agency)}

Turkey’s flagship aircraft carrier

TCG Anadolu is the Turkish Navy’s largest vessel yet. The ship, built by the Istanbul-based Sedef Shipbuilding, will act as Turkey’s first landing platform dock. The ship would be able to support the landing of heavy helicopters, drones, and light attack aircraft.

Turkey started the Multi-Purpose Amphibious Assault Ship Project in 2013. The project was aimed at developing multipurpose platforms to expand Turkey’s aerial and naval supremacy. TCG Anadolu originally intended to accommodate its future F-35 jets on a naval platform; however, the U.S. removed Turkey from the multinational Joint Strike Fighter program after Ankara acquired Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.

Turkey has since switched its primary aerial asset on the TCG Anadolu from the F-35 to the Kizilelma and TB3 drones. The vessel cost Ankara more than $1 billion and it is the world’s first vessel of its kind designed to accommodate the landing of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) on its deck.