Bayraktar TB3, the first UCAV in aviation history capable of taking off and landing on a short-runway vessel, has successfully completed four sorties aboard the TCG Anadolu as part of the “Fully Autonomous Takeoff and Landing Tests from Short-Runway Vessel” held in the Gulf of Saros.

EDIRNE / GULF OF SAROS
22 APRIL 2025

Bayraktar TB3, the first UCAV in aviation history to take off and land on a short-runway vessel, continues to perform its ship-based trials successfully. On April 22, 2025, it once again completed the “Fully Autonomous Takeoff and Landing Tests from Short-Runway Vessel” with success, just as in its previous flights.

FOUR SUCCESSFUL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS
During the test, Bayraktar TB3 carried out four sorties on the TCG Anadolu, which was sailing in the Gulf of Saros. Completing four successful takeoffs and landings on the vessel, Bayraktar TB3 performed its final sortie at sunset. As in previous trials, the indigenous UCAV landed on the short runway without the use of any landing assistance equipment. During the test, artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Baykar also performed successfully. The fully autonomous takeoffs and landings were carried out with the support of these AI algorithms.

TOTAL FLIGHT TIME REACHES 1,016 HOURS
To date, Bayraktar TB3 has logged a total of 1,016 hours and 42 minutes of flight time during its test flights. In a long-endurance flight test conducted on December 20, 2023, the indigenous UCAV had remained airborne for 32 hours without landing, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometers.

A WORLD FIRST IN AVIATION HISTORY
Bayraktar TB3 made history by successfully completing its first flight test on November 19, 2024, aboard the TCG Anadolu, which was sailing off the coast of Aksaz, Muğla. Subsequent flight tests conducted on November 26, 2024, were also successfully completed. With these achievements, the indigenous UCAV marked a historic first in global aviation.

DIRECT HIT WITH SUPERSONIC MISSILE
In live-fire tests conducted on March 25 and March 27, 2025, Bayraktar TB3 successfully struck naval targets using the UAV-122 supersonic missile developed by Roketsan. During the March 27 test, the indigenous UCAV successfully destroyed a 6x6 meter camouflaged target with a low-altitude strike performed below line-of-sight. The target was laser-designated by a Bayraktar TB2 in the air, demonstrating the successful coordination capabilities between the two UCAVs.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WITH AN INDIGENOUS ENGINE
On June 25, 2024, Bayraktar TB3 successfully completed the High-Altitude System Performance Test, reaching an altitude of 36,310 feet during a flight at Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne. Powered by the indigenously developed PD-170 engine from TEI, the aircraft thus passed another critical milestone. The altitude record in Türkiye’s aviation history is currently held by Bayraktar AKINCI, developed indigenously by Baykar, which reached 45,118 feet.

INDIGENOUS UCAV, INDIGENOUS CAMERA
On March 26, 2024, Bayraktar TB3 flew for the first time with the ASELFLIR-500, an electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting system indigenously developed by ASELSAN. As part of the test, the integration of ASELFLIR-500 — which delivers best-in-class performance compared to its global counterparts — was successfully completed.

OVERSEAS FORCE MULTIPLIER
With its foldable wing structure and advanced capabilities, Bayraktar TB3 is set to become the leading unmanned aerial vehicle in its class once it enters service. Equipped with beyond-line-of-sight communication capability, the indigenous UCAV will be operable from very long distances. This will enable it to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and strike missions using its smart munitions against overseas targets — serving as a force multiplier that will significantly enhance Türkiye’s deterrent power.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Since its inception, Baykar has conducted all of its projects using entirely self-funded resources. Since launching its UAV R&D program in 2003, the company has generated 83% of its revenues from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in export sales, ranking among the top 10 exporters across all sectors in Türkiye. As the world’s largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles, Baykar continued its global success in 2024, once again recording $1.8 billion in exports — accounting for 90% of its total revenue.

BAYKAR: THE WORLD’S LARGEST UAV COMPANY
Baykar, recipient of the Champions of Exports award, was the top defense and aerospace exporter in Türkiye in 2021, 2022, and 2023, according to data from the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). In 2023, Baykar alone accounted for one-third of the sector’s total exports. In 2024, it maintained its leadership by generating one-fourth of all defense and aerospace exports, further solidifying Türkiye’s position as a global leader in UCAV exports. As the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 36 countries — 34 for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 11 for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.