Turkey has tested the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 unmanned drone, which successfully landed on the Turkish Navy’s warship TCG Anadolu and later staged a take off from the same carrier. An extraordinary feat, which even global military powers like China, United States, UK, or Israel, have not been able to carry out yet.
Turkiye (Turkey) may have just altered the future of unmanned aerial warfare as it recently tested the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 unmanned drone, which successfully landed on the Turkish Navy’s warship TCG Anadolu and later staged a take off from the same carrier. The extraordinary feat, which not even global military powers like China, United States, UK, or Israel, have been able to carry out yet, has the potential to make traditional manned fighter jets, like the US-made F-35s, obsolete as the unmanned fighter drones can carry out same tasks without requiring a human pilot.
While China and Israel are renowned for their advanced military drones, Turkiye may have just outdone both of them with the TB3, which stands in a class of its own.
Bayraktar TB3 drone capabilities
Developed and produced by Baykar, a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence, the TB3 can be equipped with small and precise munitions, including missiles for strike missions. The drone, which was first unveiled by Baykar Defense CTO Selçuk Bayraktar on October 29, 2020, can also be deployed on surveillance and spying missions.
“We are developing an aircraft that lands and takes off from an aircraft carrier, unique in its class. It has folding wings, can land on an aircraft carrier, and can carry heavier munitions. It is around 1200 kilograms,” Selçuk, the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had said.
The Bayraktar TB3 has an operational range of 1600 km and can fly for 24 hours, allowing the Turkish Navy to extend its naval superiority. The drone is also infrared cameras for surveillance missions, and has the capability to strike anywhere from the sea to the surface.
Additionally, the TB3 is also equipped with a radar, allowing it to work as an early warning system.
Following the TB3’s test flight, Selcuk Bayraktar shared a video of the drone’s feat on X, showing the unmanned craft hovering over the Turkish warship’s flight deck.
#BayraktarTB3 Anlık/Snap
Gece yaklaşma testleri
Night approach tests⚓️ TCG ANADOLU – Mavi Vatan 🇹🇷 🌊 pic.twitter.com/uXDhwzGEaU
— Selçuk Bayraktar (@Selcuk) November 7, 2024
How Turkish military drones fared in battles from Ukraine to Armenia?
The Bayraktar TB2 combat drones have been extensively used by Ukraine in its war against Russia, and have reportedly inflicted substantial damages on Russian forces. These Turkish drones have also been used during the wars between Syria and Libya, as well as the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, where the Azerbaijani army reportedly used the drones to great success against their enemies.
The Bayraktar TB3 is a naval version of the Bayraktar TB2 combat drone, and is expected to have similar capabilities to its predecessor, according to experts?
Turkey wanted F-35s but…
Initially, Turkey had plans to equip TCG Anadolu warship with F-35 fighter jets, but the the deal with US soured after Turkey acquired the S-400 missile defence system from Russia.
Turkey wanted to acquire 100 F-35 fighter jets, some of which would be specifically designed for vertical launch from the TCG Anadolu carrier, however, since the F-35 is currently out of stock, the NATO ally has opted for TB-3 drones. Notably, US has provided F-35 fighter jets to Greece, an arch rival of Turkey.
