Bayraktar TB3 completes autonomous takeoff and landing on TCG Anadolu VIDEO

Turkish defence firm Baykar has announced the successful completion of a new phase of flight testing for its Bayraktar TB3 strike UAV, which is designed with a foldable wing structure to enable operations from naval platforms.

According to a statement posted on Baykar’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the third prototype of the Bayraktar TB3 (designated PT-3) conducted a successful takeoff and landing from Türkiye’s flagship amphibious assault ship, the TCG Anadolu, during the third day of its ongoing test campaign, Caliber.Az reports.

The trials were held as part of the “Fully Autonomous Shipborne Takeoff and Landing Trials from a Short Runway” programme, aiming to validate the TB3’s capability to operate from vessels with limited deck space. The test marks another major milestone for the drone, which continues to demonstrate its potential to transform naval aviation through autonomous operations.

#BayraktarTB3 PT-3 ✈️⚓️🚀

Ait olduğu yerde | Right where it belongs.

3. Gün - 3. Day

✅ Tam Otomatik Kalkış ve İniş Testleri
✅ Fully Autonomous Takeoff & Landing Tests

⚓️ TCG ANADOLU#MilliTeknolojiHamlesi 🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/gv3jGnz6ZJ

— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) April 25, 2025

The Bayraktar TB3 is the world’s first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of fully autonomous takeoff and landing on short-runway vessels, marking a groundbreaking advancement in naval aviation. Developed by the Turkish defence company Baykar, the TB3 is designed with a foldable wing structure, allowing it to operate from ships such as the TCG Anadolu — Türkiye’s flagship amphibious assault vessel.

Shipborne flight trials for the Bayraktar TB3 began in late 2024. Its historic first takeoff and landing from the TCG Anadolu took place on November 19, 2024, followed by further successful sorties on November 26, 2024. Since then, the TB3 has undergone numerous test flights, consistently demonstrating its autonomous capabilities. Most recently, on April 22, 2025, the UCAV carried out four successful sorties — including a sunset landing — in the Gulf of Saros without the use of any landing assistance equipment, relying solely on onboard artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Baykar.

To date, the TB3 has accumulated over 1,016 hours of flight time. It has also proven its combat capability: during live-fire tests in March 2025, the drone successfully deployed a UAV-122 supersonic missile developed by Roketsan to strike naval targets, including a camouflaged target designated by a Bayraktar TB2. This interoperability between UCAVs highlights Baykar’s advances in coordinated drone warfare.

The aircraft is powered by the domestically produced TEI PD-170 engine and equipped with the ASELFLIR-500 electro-optical targeting system by ASELSAN, giving it high-performance surveillance and precision strike capabilities. In June 2024, it reached an altitude of 36,310 feet, further validating its high-altitude performance.

As Türkiye’s leading defence exporter, Baykar has sold drones to 36 countries and continues to dominate the global UAV market. The company is entirely self-funded and generated $1.8 billion in export revenue in both 2023 and 2024, accounting for over 80% of its total earnings.

By Vugar Khalilov