New Turkish TB3 drone takes to skies for 1st time, marking Türkiye's centenary

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) — Turkish drone-maker Baykar on Friday announced that its new model of unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Bayraktar TB3, completed its first flight to mark the country's centenary.

"On the Republic of Türkiye's centennial, the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed its maiden flight," Selcuk Bayraktar, the firm's chief technology officer, said on X.

The TB3, a short-runway-capable version of another one of Baykar's drones, the TB2, took off from an air strip in northwestern Türkiye.

"It is the first of its kind, boasting the ability to fold its wings and capable of landing and taking off from a ship," Baykar noted.

The UCAV is expected to be able to stay in the air for longer, climb to higher altitudes, and carry more weapons than the TB2.

The TB2 has been used in conflicts around the world, from Azerbaijan to Libya, and, more recently, Ukraine.

"The TB3 is designed for deployment from a newly commissioned aircraft carrier, the TCG Anadolu, also dubbed the world's first drone carrier," the firm added.