Turkish Bayraktar TB3 drone masters 100 fully autonomous sorties from drone-carrying ship VIDEO

Bayraktar TB3, the world’s first drone in history to perform fully autonomous takeoff and landing from a short takeoff and landing (STOL) ship, has successfully completed 100 sorties during tests conducted on the TCG Anadolu drone-carrying amphibious assault ship.

During the latest tests conducted on TCG Anadolu from May 28 to June 2, the capability of fully automatic takeoff and landing of the Bayraktar TB3 supported by artificial intelligence based on image processing was also verified, Caliber.Az reports, citing the X page of the TB3’s manufacturer, Baykar.

Barbaroslardan miras kalan ufuklara değdi kanatlarımız! 🇹🇷✈️#BayraktarTB3, TCG Anadolu'daki 100. sortisini başarıyla tamamladı! ✈️⚓️

Our wings have reached the horizons once ruled by Barbarossa! 🇹🇷✈️#BayraktarTB3 has successfully completed its 100th sortie aboard the TCG… pic.twitter.com/6FGUnn8wkN

— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) June 3, 2025

In this context, important functions were successfully tested, such as visual line tracking, aircraft carrier detection, runway detection, and landing angle assessment considering ground visibility.

The Bayraktar TB3 UAVs with the onboard numbers PT-3 and PT-4, having successfully completed the tests on the ship, flew off the coast of Muğla-Aksaz and returned to the Bayraktar flight training and test centre in Keşan.

Note that the Bayraktar TB3 is a Turkish-made carrier-based medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by Baykar Technologies. Designed for operations from short-runway vessels like the TCG Anadolu, it features foldable wings, enabling efficient storage and deployment on naval platforms.

The TB3 is powered by the domestically produced TEI PD-170 engine, offering enhanced performance and reliability. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,450 kilograms and can carry a payload of up to 280 kilograms, including various munitions tailored for UAV platforms.

By Khagan Isayev