The Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) has successfully completed its first flight test from the deck of the Turkish Navy's amphibious assault ship "Anadolu", classified as an aircraft-helicopter carrier. The event "marked a first in the history of aviation. The drone thus became the first armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle capable of taking off and landing on short-runway warships, including the TCG 'Anadolu'", reads a statement issued today by the Turkish manufacturer Baikar Technologies.

In the previous days, two Bayraktar TB3, PT1 and PT2 were deployed from Baykar's Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, to Dalaman Air Base Command. During their operations, TB3 PT1 performed "both day and night close flights to the helicopter carrier, successfully completing the approach tests without any issues. Today, November 19, 2024, TB3 PT2, after completing its onboard tests in the open sea, took off from the short runway of the 'Anadolu', which has a ramp inclined at 12 degrees. The flight, conducted at the convergence of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, lasted 46 minutes before the aircraft successfully landed on the same short runway, without the need for any landing support equipment. This historic test flight has opened the door to a new era in the history of aviation and navy," the statement continued.

On June 25, during a test flight at Baykar’s Flight Training and Test Center, the Bayraktar TB3 also successfully completed the high-altitude system performance test, climbing to an altitude of 36,310 feet. Powered by Turkey’s Tei PD-170 engine, the drone passed another milestone. The Bayraktar Akinci, another indigenous aircraft developed by Baykar, holds Turkey’s altitude record at 45,118 feet.

"The TB3 has folding wings and advanced capabilities. Equipped with Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications, it can be operated from long distances, making it a key asset for Turkey's deterrence strategy. This Ucav with its smart munitions will support reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering and combat missions abroad", the statement concludes.

In the video today's flight test: