Turkey tests “Bayraktar TB3”, the first armed drone takes off from a warship with the help of AI

Bayraktar TB3, the first armed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of operating from short-range warships, successfully completed four autonomous flights from Turkey's amphibious ship TCG Anadolu.

According to a statement from drone manufacturer Baykar, the test was conducted in the Gulf of Saros as part of a campaign to prove the drone's fully autonomous takeoff and landing capabilities. Each flight was conducted without any landing aids, marking another technological breakthrough.

Unlike its predecessor, the TB3 is specifically designed for operations from naval platforms, particularly from short-runway aircraft carriers like Turkey's TCG Anadolu. One of its most notable features is its folding wing mechanism, which allows the drone to be stored and operated more efficiently in confined maritime environments.

AI flight system

The combat drone's movements were executed with the support of artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Baykar. These systems allowed the drone to perform fully autonomous takeoffs and landings on the moving ship's platform.

According to Baykar, TB3 has now logged 1,016 flight hours in total, including a 32-hour endurance flight in December 2023, where it traveled 5,700 kilometers without landing.

The drone's combat capabilities were also tested on 25 and 27 March 2025, using the IHA-122 supersonic missile developed by Roketsan. This test demonstrated the TB3's precision strike capability below line-of-sight altitude, targeting a 6x6 meter area, with the target designated by a Bayraktar TB2 in the air.

In a high-altitude test on 25 June 2024, the TB3 reached an altitude of 11 km at the Kesan training center, powered by the domestically developed TEI PD-170 engine. On 26 March 2024, the TB3 flew with the ASELFLIR-500, an electro-optical reconnaissance system developed by Aselsan.

With foldable wings and beyond-line-of-sight communication capabilities, the Bayraktar TB3 is expected to become the leading armed UAV in its class once it officially joins the Turkish Air Force.

The drone will be able to operate over long distances, enabling surveillance, intelligence gathering and strike missions against targets overseas, significantly increasing the deterrent capacity of Turkey's air forces. (A2 Televizion)