By Goksel Yildirim
ANKARA (AA) – Selcuk Bayraktar, the chairman of the board of the Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, has conducted technical inspections on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's largest aircraft carrier.
Bayraktar, along with Turkish commanders and naval officers, was invited by US Ambassador to Türkiye Jeffry Flake to the ship, which is currently conducting joint exercises with Turkish first aircraft carrier assault ship, TCG Anadolu, in the Mediterranean Sea, the firm said on Friday.
The Turkish and US Air Forces are also conducting joint training flights as part of the exercise.
Baykar is currently developing the Bayraktar Kizilelma, a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable, jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle, and the Bayraktar TB3, a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of short-range landing and take-off.
During the inspection, Bayraktar was briefed by Rear Admiral Erik J. Eslich about the joint drills.
Bayraktar examined the landings and take-offs of the fighter jets in the US Navy inventory after receiving information.
He explained to Rear Admiral Eslich, Admiral Rick Burgess, and the US officers on board the ongoing development work on Bayraktar TB3, which is planned to take off and land on the TCG Anadolu and similar short-runway ships, and Bayraktar Kizielma.
*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul