Baykar, Turkey’s leading drone manufacturer, successfully conducted the first munition firing test of the Bayraktar TB-3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) on January 18, the company announced.
The TB-3 took off from Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne province, on January 17 with two Roketsan MAM-T munitions aboard.
Using Aselsan’s ASELFLIR-500 targeting system, the aircraft hit its designated target with precision, Baykar said in a statement.
The TB-3 has a 1,000-mile range and 24-hour endurance. Each drone can be equipped with up to six underwing hardpoints for precision-guided munitions, bombs and rockets, along with sensors.
The MAM-T, manufactured by Turkish defense contractor Roketsan, is a precision-guided munition designed for use with UCAVs and light attack aircraft.
The TB-3 is the first UCAV to successfully take off and land on a short-deck ship, on the landing helicopter dock of the TCG Anadolu, the flagship of the Turkish Navy. It successfully completed takeoff and landing tests on short-deck ships on November 19.
Operating from Anadolu’s deck, these drones can conduct surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions against both land and naval targets. They can also serve as aerial network relays or airborne early warning platforms.
The success of Turkish drone maker Baykar with the TB-3 UCAV has sparked debate over meeting military requirements.
Turkey initially envisioned having a light carrier with its TCG Anadolu but was forced to covert the ship into a drone carrier in 2019 after being removed from the US F-35 program due to its controversial purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles despite being a NATO member.
According to defense analyst Fatih Yurtsever TCG Anadolu was built with 8-10 F-35Bs in mind, making that type the only viable aircraft for the ship. Yurtsever says that while Turkey is trying to compensate for the loss of F-35Bs by turning the TCG Anadolu into a drone carrier, it is unrealistic to expect that drones can effectively replace manned aircraft altogether.
Because of their optical targeting systems, data fusion and electronic warfare capabilities, the F-35Bs have brought the airpower of aircraft carriers to a new level. Moreover, F-35Bs are particularly good at neutralizing opposing assets and targeting strategic objectives from afar, thanks to their A2AD (Anti Access/Area Denial) capability.
While Turkish drone maker Baykar has achieved notable success, Yurtsever says this does not necessarily mean its UCAVs fulfill all operational requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Baykar, a Turkish defense contractor founded in 1986, gained significant recognition for the effectiveness of its drones in countering Russian forces in Ukraine, particularly in the initial weeks of the Russian invasion, where they successfully countered Russian armor and anti-aircraft systems. In addition to importing drones from Turkey, Kyiv announced in July that the construction of a Turkish Bayraktar drone manufacturing plant had begun in Ukraine.
Drones developed by Baykar have been exported to at least 30 countries and have been used in conflicts in Azerbaijan and Libya in addition to Ukraine. Many say the company owes its success to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who personally promotes Baykar drones during his visits to foreign countries, as a result of which agreements worth of millions of dollars are signed.
Baykar’s chairman, Selçuk Bayraktar, is Erdoğan’s son-in-law.