The Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle, developed indigenously and originally by Baykar, successfully completed its first ski-jump test under conditions similar to the TCG Anadolu carrier.

EDİRNE / KEŞAN
1 June 2024

Baykar continues to test the Bayraktar TB3, its indigenous and original armed unmanned aerial vehicle. The aircraft, which performed its maiden flight on October 27, 2023 to pay homage to the Turkish Republic's centennial, passed the ski-jump test with flying colors in its first attempt.

BAYRAKTAR TB3 TAKES OFF RAMP SIMILAR TO TCG ANADOLU'S SKI-JUMP

During today's test at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, Bayraktar TB3 took off a ramp for the first time. The runway at the center has the same specifications as TCG Anadolu, where Bayraktar TB3 will be stationed, and features a 12-degree ramp. As part of the first ski-jump test, the aircraft successfully completed its takeoff in all four attempts. This development marks the beginning of a last stage in the testing process before Bayraktar TB3 boards TCG Anadolu.

FORMATION FLIGHT WITH BAYRAKTAR AKINCI TO KEŞAN

Having passed all low-altitude, medium-altitude and high-altitude performance and system identification tests at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, Bayraktar TB3 departed Çorlu on May 22, 2024 in formation with the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV. During the first formation flight featuring the two platforms, they headed to Keşan where Bayraktar TB3 was successfully relocated at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center. The aircraft will continue to undergo tests in Keşan on a specially-designed runway featuring a ramp.

LOGGED 395 FLIGHT HOURS

Over the course of test flights to date, Bayraktar TB3 UCAV flew for 395 hours and 43 minutes. The indigenous aircraft had remained airborne for 32 hours during an endurance test on December 20, 2023 to cover a distance of 5700 kilometers.

INDIGENOUS UCAV, INDIGENOUS CAMERA

On March 26, 2024, Bayraktar TB3 completed its first flight with ASELFLIR-500, which was indigenously developed by Aselsan. Since then, the ASELFLIR-500 Electro-optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting System, which outperformed its global competitors during the tests, was successfully integrated.

FIRST FLIGHT FROM TCG ANADOLU DUE IN 2024

With its foldable wings, Bayraktar TB3 will be the first armed UAV worldwide with the ability to take off and land on short-runway vessels like TCG Anadolu. Baykar Chairman and CTO Selçuk Bayraktar had previously revealed the company's plan to start testing Bayraktar TB3 aboard TCG Anadolu within 2024. Bayraktar TB3 will have unprecedented capabilities for its class. The indigenous UCAV, which will also have LOS communication capabilities, will be able to be operated from vast distances. This will enable the aircraft to perform recon-surveillance and intelligence missions as well as become a force multiplier for Türkiye by completing combat missions against overseas targets with its smart munitions. 

EXPORT CHAMPION

Having self-financed all its projects to date,  Baykar generated 83% of its revenue since launching its drone R&D program in 2003 from exports. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly, the company led the defense and aerospace industry in export volume in 2021 and 2022. Moreover, the Defense Industry Agency announced in 2023 that Baykar became the industry's export champion with $1.8 billion. Baykar, which generated more than 90% of its revenues from exports in recent years, singlehandedly accounted for one third of the defense and aerospace industry's exports in 2023. Exports account for 97.5% of the current contracts of the company, which remains the world's largest UCAV exporter. Baykar signed export agreements with 33 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and nine countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.