Bayraktar TB3 makes history with supersonic missile test success

MUĞLA

The Bayraktar TB3, the world’s first armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to take off and land on a short-runway ship, achieved a groundbreaking milestone by striking a target with pinpoint accuracy using a supersonic IHA-122 missile developed by ROKETSAN.

According to a statement from Baykar, the domestically designed Bayraktar TB3 soared from Dalaman in Muğla province, launching the missile at a 6x6-meter sea target over 50 kilometers away. The UAV hit the mark on its first attempt, with a Bayraktar TB2 in the sky providing laser guidance. The coordinated strike showcased the two drones’ ability to work in tandem, a capability successfully tested for the first time.

Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar hailed the achievement on X, noting, “The Bayraktar TB2 marked the target with a laser, and the TB3 fired the missile to destroy it flawlessly—full marks for their joint engagement.”

The TB3, which first took flight from the TCG Anadolu’s 12-degree ramp on Nov. 19, 2024, continues to excel in munitions integration tests as part of its development.

The TB3 has already etched its name in aviation records. After a 46-minute test flight over the Aegean and Mediterranean junction, it landed on the TCG Anadolu’s short deck without support equipment—a global first.

Subsequent tests off Çanakkale saw it perform two more successful takeoffs and landings, reaching an average altitude of 20,000 feet. On June 25, 2024, it hit 36,310 feet during a high-altitude test in Keşan, Edirne, powered by the locally made TEI PD-170 engine.

To date, the TB3 has logged 967 hours and 55 minutes in test flights, including a 32-hour endurance run on Dec. 20, 2023, covering 5,700 kilometers.

On March 26, 2024, it flew with ASELSAN’s ASELFLIR-500 system, deemed the world’s top-performing electro-optical reconnaissance and targeting tool in its class. With foldable wings and beyond-line-of-sight communication, the TB3 is poised to lead its category, enhancing Türkiye’s deterrence by striking overseas targets with smart munitions.

Baykar, self-funding its projects since 2003, has thrived globally, earning 83 percent of its revenue from exports. In 2023 and 2024, it posted $1.8 billion in exports annually, securing a spot among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters.