Turkish Aircraft Carrier-Based Armed Drone Successfully Completes 5th Test Flight

TB3 drones are based on Turkish aircraft carriers. (Twitter/@BaykarTech).

JAKARTA - Turkey's new aircraft carrier-based unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), Bayraktar TB3, successfully conducted its fifth test flight according to the manufacturer Baykar.

During the fifth performance test, the new drone flew at moderate altitude and successfully carried out a six-hour flight in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ, according to local media.

"Bayraktar TB3 successfully completed its fifth flight test," tweeted Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar's chief technology officer (CTO) on social media platform X, reported by Daily Sabah December 10.

The TB3 had previously proven its capabilities despite severe storms in the Marmara region, reaching a speed of 130 kmh (80.78 mph) during its third test flight conducted on November 4, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

Equipped with the PD-170 engine domestically developed by TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI), the domestically made UCAV successfully completed system identification tests at high and low speeds by staying in the air for six hours on November 8.

With reinforced landing gear, folding wings, and more powerful engines, the TB3 UCAV is designed for use on ships such as the TCG Anadolu, Turkey's newly entered service aircraft carrier.

Apart from TB3, the carrier's air wing also has a fleet of Baykar unmanned fighter jets, Kızılelma, which completed its maiden flight last December.

"Once they start operating in the TCG Anadolu air wing, the TB3 and Kızılelma will revolutionize the history of warfare, just like our UCAVs," Bayraktar said.

It is known that the TB3 drone was exhibited publicly for the first time at this year's main Türkiye technology and aerospace festival, Teknofest, which was held in Istanbul from April 27 to May 1, 2023. The drone was also exhibited at similar festivals in Ankara and Izmir.

With a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 1,450 kilograms (3,196.70 pounds) and a payload capacity of 280 kilograms, the Bayraktar TB3 is almost twice as heavy as its predecessor, the Bayraktar TB2, with an estimated range of up to 1,000 nautical miles or 1,900 kilometers.