Selçuk Bayraktar first unveiled the Bayraktar TB3 on October 29, 2020. In his announcement, Bayraktar mentioned the testing of a domestic engine, presumed to be the TEI-PD170 or its derivative, which would be integrated into the Bayraktar Akıncı HALE UAV and the Bayraktar TB3. Describing the engine as having "by far the highest performance values in its class, worldwide", Selçuk Bayraktar highlighted its capabilities.
Selçuk Bayraktar later elaborated on the Bayraktar TB3, stating, "We are developing an aircraft that lands and takes off from an aircraft carrier, unique in its class. It has folding wings, can land on an aircraft carrier, and can carry heavier munitions. It is around 1200 kilograms."[5]
The developer of TB3, Baykar Defense, shared the first computer-generated images of the deployed TB3 on TCG Anadolu, the first amphibious assault ship of Turkey, on July 21, 2021, via Twitter. It was revealed that the TB3 would operate alongside Bayraktar Kızılelma, which is equipped with a jet engine.[6]
27 March 2023: First prototype of the TB3 has been made public.[10]
13 October 2023: Successful completion of TB3's first test run.[11]
20 October 2023: Conducted the initial take-off and landing test, achieving high speeds and briefly taking the wheels off the ground, without fully flying into the sky.[12]
11 November 2023: The aircraft flew with its landing gear retracted for the first time.[14]
1 June 2024: The first successful ski-jump ramp test of the TB3 was conducted on a mainland ramp, which was carefully designed to replicate the TCG Anadolu's deck.[15]
19 November 2024: The TB3 drone successfully took off from and landed on the deck of the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu.[16][17] It was the first time a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft of this size and class had successfully taken off and landed on a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) that Turkey has repurposed to serve as a drone carrier.[18][19][20]
Operational history
On 18 February 2026, the Bayraktar TB3 successfully performed a flight demonstration in the Baltic region during NATO's Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise. The drone operated effectively in strong winds, freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall.[21] The drone also successfully hit surface targets at sea with two MAM-Lprecision-guided munitions.[22][23] After this, the Bayraktar TB3 also completed an eight-hour joint sortie with multiple Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the German Air Force in Baltic Sea during the exercise. During this exercise, the Bayraktar TB-3 was launched from the Turkish Naval Forces's TCG Anadolu, the world's first military drone carrier ship, and covered 1,700 kilometers on its mission. The drone also captured aerial video of the Eurofighter Typhoon using its ASELFLIR 500electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system made by the Turkish company Aselsan. This mission marked a significant integration of unmanned aerial vehicles with advanced fighter jets in a multinational drill with performing manned-unmanned teaming. The operation demonstrated the drone's capability to operate effectively within high-intensity alliance maneuvers.[24]
Indonesian Navy — During the visit of the Turkish president to Indonesia in February 2025, an agreement to acquire 60 TB3s and its joint production was signed.[26][7][27] It will probably be used on the ship Giuseppe Garibaldi, which Indonesia is interested in.
The Smart Micro Munition (MAM-L) and behind it MAM-C high explosive variantHardpoints: 6 hardpoints for laser-guided smart munition, with provisions to carry combinations of:
TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN[38] Modular joint ammunition[39][40] KUZGUN-TjM Turkish: TjM :Turbojet MotorluTurbojet engine variant with range of 245 kilometers and KUZGUN-SS Turkish: SS: Serbest Süzülen Free Soaring variant range of 110 kilometers variants in use[41]
