The indigenous Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully completes a high-altitude system identification and performance test in Keşan, reaches an altitude of 36,310 ft with its indigenous engine.

EDIRNE / KEŞAN
25 June 2024

The Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UCAV), Baykar’s indigenous and original aircraft, continues to undergo tests with resounding success. Marking the Republic’s centennial by completing its maiden flight on October 27, 2023, the indigenous drone has been passing system identification and performance tests at various altitudes. Most recently, it reached the highest altitude to date.

Above and Beyond with an Indigenous Engine

During a test flight at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV passed its high-altitude system test with flying colors, climbing to an altitude of 36,310 ft. Powered by TEI’s indigenous PD-170 engine, the Turkish drone thus cleared yet another critical milestone.

The Bayraktar AKINCI, another indigenous and original aircraft developed by Baykar, holds Türkiye’s altitude record with 45,118 ft.

Ski-Jump from Ramp Akin to TCG Anadolu Runway

After passing various tests in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV was recently relocated to before being relocated to the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne. On June 1, 2024, it completed a ski-jump for the first time. The facility in Keşan is equipped with a 12-degree ramp on a runway identical to the TCG Anadolu’s main deck, where the aircraft will be stationed. Seamlessly passing tests, the Bayraktar TB3 is inching closer to operational deployment on the aircraft carrier by undergoing ski-jump tests.

Total Flight Time: 445 Hours

To date, the Bayraktar TB3 has flown for 445 hours and three minutes during a series of test flights. During an endurance test on December 20, 2023, the indigenous drone remained airborne for 32 consecutive hours, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometers.

Indigenous UCAV, Indigenous Camera

On March 26, 2024, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV was equipped with the ASELFLIR-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting System, an indigenous product of Aselsan. Over the course of relevant tests, the ASELFLIR-500, which outperforms its global rivals, was successfully integrated into the aircraft.

First Flight Off TCG Anadolu due in 2024

With its foldable wings, the Bayraktar TB3 will be the world’s first armed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of taking off and landing on short-runway vessels like TCG Anadolu. Baykar Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar previously announced that the company plans to start testing the Bayraktar TB3 aboard the Turkish aircraft carrier within this year.

The Bayraktar TB3’s capabilities will represent a major innovation for unmanned aerial vehicles within its class. Thanks to Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication, it will be possible to operate the indigenous aircraft from vast distances. In this sense, it will serve as a force multiplier for Türkiye’s deterrence by conducting reconnaissance-surveillance, intelligence, and overseas combat missions with its smart munitions.

Top Exporter

Having self-financed all its projects since its establishment, Baykar generated 83 percent of its entire revenue through exports since launching its UAV R&D program in 2003. The company’s 2023 exports amounted to $1.8 billion, ranking it among Türkiye’s top ten exporters across all sectors. Baykar, which recently received the Export Champions Award, led the defense and aerospace industry in exports in 2021, 2022, and 2023, according to the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM).

Baykar, which has generated more than 90 percent of its revenue through exports in recent years, single-handedly accounted for one third of the Turkish defense and aerospace industry’s 2023 exports. Currently the world’s largest exporter of armed unmanned aerial vehicles, 97.5 percent of the company’s current contracts are based on exports. To date, Baykar has signed export deals with 34 nations, including 33 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and nine countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.