On April 22, 2025, Baykar announced that Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) 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.
Baykar press release
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.
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.
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 6×6 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.
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.
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