Türkiye’s domestically manufactured uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Bayraktar TB3 has successfully completed four sorties aboard the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, Turkish defense company Baykar revealed.
As disclosed, the trials are a part of the “Fully Autonomous Takeoff and Landing Tests from Short-Runway Vessel” held in the Gulf of Saros.
During the test, Bayraktar TB3 carried out four sorties on the TCG Anadolu , which was sailing in the Gulf of Saros, while its final sortie was performed at sunset. As in previous trials, the UCAV landed on the short runway without the use of any landing assistance equipment.
The artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Baykar also performed successfully, according to the firm. The fully autonomous takeoffs and landings were carried out with the support of these AI algorithms.
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.
Meanwhile, the drone completed its first firing test with the MAM-T munition and hit its target with “pinpoint accuracy” in January this year.
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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 remained airborne for 32 hours without landing, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometers.