Once again, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV successfully struck the target with a supersonic missile hitting directly on point. In a coordinated test involving two UAVs in the air, the target designated by Bayraktar TB2 was successfully destroyed by Bayraktar TB3.

Continuing to conduct supersonic missile firing tests from over 50 km distance, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV makes history in tactical UAVs. According to Baykar’s announcement, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV, which previously performed takeoff and landing from a short runway on a ship marking a first in aviation history, took off with the IHA-122 Supersonic Missile developed by ROKETSAN from Dalaman district of Muğla. Enhancing its capabilities against different scenarios, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV, this time, successfully hit the 6X6 meter target over the sea below the line of sight altitude. The national UAV made its first shot with IHA-122 on Tuesday, March 25, surpassing a distance of 50 kilometers.

Designating the target with laser guidance in the firing test was the task undertaken by the Bayraktar TB2 UAV in the air. The target marked by Bayraktar TB2 was successfully destroyed by Bayraktar TB3. Thus, the coordinated ability of the two UAVs in the air to mark with laser and engage the target showcased its success once again.

Developed nationally and originally by Baykar, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV successfully took off from the short ramp of TCG Anadolu on November 19, 2024. Performing a historic 46-minute test flight at the confluence of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, the Bayraktar TB3 then successfully landed on the same short runway without using any landing support equipment, achieving another first globally. Continuing its successful ship tests, the Bayraktar TB3 made two more successful takeoff and landing maneuvers without using landing support equipment during the second test flight on the TCG Anadolu ship off the coast of Çanakkale. The national UAV successfully completed the test flying at an average altitude of 20,000 feet.

The Bayraktar TB3 UAV reached an altitude of 36,310 feet during the High Altitude System Performance Test conducted at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan district of Edirne on June 25, 2024. Taking off with the local PD-170 engine developed by TEI, the national UAV surpassed a critical threshold. The altitude record in national aviation history belongs to the Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA developed nationally and originally by Baykar, reaching 45,118 feet.

Accumulating a total of 967 hours and 55 minutes in test flights, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV remained airborne continuously. On December 20, 2023, the national UAV remained airborne for 32 hours without landing, covering a distance of 5,700 km in the sky. The Bayraktar TB3 UAV flew for the first time with ASELFLIR-500 developed locally by ASELSAN on March 26, 2024. The integration of the ASELFLIR-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System, which has the highest performance compared to its counterparts worldwide, was successfully carried out during the test.

Possessing folding wing structures and the capabilities it will offer, the Bayraktar TB3 UAV will become the leading unmanned aerial vehicle in its class. With beyond line of sight communication capability, the national UAV will be controllable from very long distances. Consequently, by conducting reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and carrying out attack missions with its smart munitions against overseas targets, it will create a multiplier effect in Turkey’s deterrent power.

Export Champion

Conducting all projects from scratch with its own resources since its inception, Baykar achieved 83 percent of its total revenue from exports since the beginning of UAV R&D process in 2003. Making $1.8 billion in exports in 2023, Baykar ranked among the top 10 companies exporting the most in all sectors in Turkey. As the largest company in the global unmanned aerial vehicle export market, Baykar continued its global success in 2024, garnering 90 percent of its revenue from exports and making $1.8 billion in exports.

Receiving the Champions of Export Award, Baykar was recognized as the leader in defense and aviation sector exports by Defense Industry Presidency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023. The sole contributor of one-third of sector exports in the previous year, Baykar, by single-handedly accounting for one-fourth of the total sector’s exports in 2024, elevated Turkey to a leading position in the global UAV export market. Being the largest unmanned aerial vehicle company in the world, Baykar signed export agreements with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV and 11 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA, totaling to 36 countries.