Turkish defense firm Baykar Technologies has unveiled its new Bayraktar TB-3 drone for launch from naval vessels.
Company chief technology officer Selcuk Bayraktar shared photos of the unmanned system on social media, revealing that it is still on the production line pending first flight.
The TB-3 drone is described as a more capable version of the famous TB-2, and will operate alongside the “unmanned fighter jet” Bayraktar Kizilelma.
It will be deployed on the Turkish Navy’s flagship TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, planned to be converted into a drone carrier.
More extensive testing will be conducted later this year to evaluate the drone’s performance in naval warfare.
According to Bayraktar, the TB-3 drone’s wings can be folded to sit on aircraft carriers, saving space for other aerial platforms.
It can perform intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance missions and support combat operations with smart weapons attached to its wings.
The company says the new system will be the world’s first loitering munition that can take off and land from short runways, including that on the TCG Anadolu.
Line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications also allow the TB-3 to be operated from distant locations.
Compared to the TB-2, which has a cruise speed of 120 knots (222 kilometers/138 miles per hour), the new drone can travel at 160 knots (296 kilometers/184 miles per hour).
