Baykar press release – Translated by Naval News
Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), which was developed by Baykar indigenously, successfully made its maiden flight on the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.
The first flight test of the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, which was conducted under the leadership of Baykar’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar, began on Friday, Oct. 27, two days before Republic Day, with the completion of ground tests at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdağ’s Çorlu district. Bayraktar TB3, which took off at 08:30, successfully completed airborne system identification tests and completed a one-hour flight.
Selçuk Bayraktar addressed the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV test team after the successful flight and said, “When the Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aerial vehicle and the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV enter service on our TCG ANADOLU short-range aircraft carrier, there will be a revolution in air combat.“
“With their deployment on board, they will become a major force multiplier in overseas operations thanks to their long-term reconnaissance and strike capabilities. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of our Republic, our Bayraktar TB3 successfully made its first flight. In the adventure of UAVs that we have been developing for almost 20 years for the fully independent and free future of our country, we have tried our best as engineers and technicians in the 100th year of our republic, starting from 6 kg to 6 tons, and on our way to the first unmanned combat aircraft of our country with Bayraktar KIZILELMA. May it be our gift for the 100th year of our Republic.”
Selçuk Bayraktar, BAYKAR CEO and CTO
Flying with homegrown engine
The first flight of Bayraktar TB3 lasted one hour and heralded a new era in world aviation. In its first flight, the Bayraktar TB3 took off with the PD-170 engine developed locally by TEI (TUSAS Engine Industries). The engine, which produces 170 horsepower, was developed compatible with maritime conditions.
The Bayraktar TB3 was publicly exhibited for the first time between April 27 and May 1 at the TEKNOFEST Istanbul at Ataturk Airport. After that, it also participated in the following TEKNOFESTs in Ankara and Izmir editions. The Bayraktar TB3, which will be a force multiplier with its ability to take off and land from ships with a short runway, attracted great interest from the citizens.
Onboard TCG ANADOLU
Bayraktar TB3 UCAV with foldable wings and Bayraktar KIZILELMA were displayed on the flight deck of TCG Anadolu, the world’s first UCAV carrier, in Istanbul and Izmir. In this context, hundreds of thousands of citizens visited Turkey’s largest warship to see Bayraktar TB3 on the deck.
With its foldable wing structure, Bayraktar TB3 UCAV will be the world’s first armed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of taking off and landing from short runway vessels such as TCG Anadolu. The Bayraktar TB3’s capabilities will be a major innovation for unmanned aerial vehicles in this class. The national UCAV, which will also have beyond line-of-sight communications capability, will be able to be controlled from a very long distance. Thus, it will have a multiplier effect on Turkey’s deterrent power by conducting reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence and strike missions against overseas targets with the smart munitions it carries.
Baykar Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar, who attended the TCG Anadolu ship delivery ceremony, announced that they plan to begin tests on the flagship in 2024 for the Bayraktar TB3.
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