Drones are increasingly gaining ground in military doctrine and Turkey has become one of the protagonists with the Baykar company, which produces the already famous Bayraktar TB3.
Famous in the first months of the war between Ukraine and Russia, the unmanned aircraft reached a new milestone in recent days.
It became the first armed drone to take off and land on a short-deck aircraft carrier, in this case the TCG Anadolu (L-400), which was sailing in a strip that separates the Aegean Sea from the Mediterranean.
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The operation began in Keşan, Edirne, where the Baykar Flight Test and Training Center is located, which authorized the TB3 PT1 and PT2 to take off towards Dalaman Air Base, after ramp tests.
From this base, PT1 performed day and night landing approach maneuvers over TCG Anadolu. Then, on November 19, PT2 successfully took off from the deck of the Turkish Navy L400 using the ship’s 12-degree Sky Ramp.
The Bayraktar PT2’s flight lasted 46 minutes and the landing at TCG Anadolu occurred without the aid of a restraint device, thus making the operation much faster. With this, the Baykar UAV opens a new frontier for the use of drones on aircraft carriers.
Bayraktar TB3
Developed entirely by the Turkish company Baykar, the Bayraktar TB3 is an (armed) UCAV measuring 8.35 m in length and 14 m in wingspan, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,450 kg.
With a payload capacity of 280 kg, the Bayraktar TB3 can cruise at 125 knots (231 km/h) and reach a maximum speed of 160 knots (296 km/h), giving it a flight time of over 24 hours.
Suitable for reconnaissance/surveillance and intelligence missions, the Bayraktar TB3 can carry out precision strikes with smart munitions under its wing mounts.
Acting as an intelligence platform, the Bayraktar TB3 has a comprehensive suite of surveillance sensors and communication systems.
Despite its large size, the Baykar drone was designed for Turkish operations abroad, as its folding wings allow it to operate fully aboard aircraft carriers.
