Bayraktar TB3

Bayraktar TB3 is a carrier-capable unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Baykar of Turkey, first flown on 27 October 2023. It is a folding-wing derivative of the Bayraktar TB2, designed to take off and land autonomously on short-deck ships without arrestor gear or catapults.

Overview

Baykar built the TB3 to operate from Turkey's amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, which was converted from a planned F-35B carrier design after Turkey's removal from the F-35 programme. The aircraft folds its wings for storage in the ship's hangar, a feature not shared by the land-based TB2. On 19 November 2024 the TB3 became the first fixed-wing UCAV in the world to take off and land on a short-deck ship, completing a 46-minute test flight without landing support equipment. The type completed 100 sorties aboard TCG Anadolu by June 2025 as part of a wider test campaign that had logged more than 700 flight hours by that point, including a 32-hour, 5,700 km endurance flight in December 2023 and an altitude record of 36,310 ft in June 2024. The TB3 entered operational service with Turkish forces in September 2025 and is also Baykar's platform of record for export carrier programmes, with Indonesia ordering 60 aircraft in February 2025 and Italy and Spain reported as prospective naval customers.

Design and capabilities

The TB3 is 8.35 m long with a 14 m wingspan, close to the TB2's dimensions but with reinforced, folding wings for shipboard use. Baykar quotes a maximum take-off weight of up to 1,600 kg for the type, though other public reporting gives a lower in-service weight of about 1,450 kg, which may reflect differences between the land-based and naval-optimised configurations. It carries a payload of up to 280 kg across multiple hardpoints, including laser-, GPS/INS- and IR-guided munitions, mini cruise missiles and ISR payloads such as electronic-intelligence and synthetic-aperture-radar pods. Power comes from a domestically produced TEI PD-170 turbodiesel engine rated at 170 hp, giving a manufacturer-quoted endurance beyond 24 hours and a service ceiling of about 25,000 ft (7,620 m). Public sources give a maximum speed of about 300 km/h and a cruise speed of about 232 km/h, with an operational range in the region of 2,000 km.

Operational history

The TB3 is in service with Turkey's armed forces, flying from TCG Anadolu as the Turkish Navy's primary fixed-wing carrier aircraft. During test and trials campaigns in 2025 the type carried out strike demonstrations, including reported supersonic-missile strikes in March 2025 and dual salvo strikes during the SEAWOLF-2025 exercise in May 2025, alongside further autonomous take-off and landing trials aboard the carrier that same month.

Variants

The TB3 sits alongside Baykar's larger Bayraktar Akıncı and the jet-powered Bayraktar Kızılelma, both of which are also being adapted for carrier operations from TCG Anadolu.

Frequently asked questions

What makes the Bayraktar TB3 different from the TB2?

The TB3 has folding wings and a reinforced undercarriage so it can be stored and operated from the short deck of a ship such as TCG Anadolu, which the standard TB2 cannot do.

When did the Bayraktar TB3 enter service?

It entered Turkish operational service in September 2025, after first flying on 27 October 2023.

How long can the Bayraktar TB3 stay airborne?

Baykar quotes an endurance of more than 24 hours; a December 2023 test flight stayed airborne for 32 hours and covered 5,700 km.

What ship does the Bayraktar TB3 operate from?

Turkey's amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, from which it became the first fixed-wing UCAV to take off and land in November 2024.

Who else operates or has ordered the Bayraktar TB3?

Turkey is the confirmed operator; Indonesia has ordered 60 aircraft, and Italy and Spain have been reported as prospective customers for carrier-based variants.