Bayraktar TB3

Turkey's folding-wing, carrier-capable MALE UCAV - a Baykar strike and ISR drone designed for short-takeoff-and-landing operations from TCG Anadolu and other short-runway ships.

Overview

The Bayraktar TB3 is a recoverable, reusable medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Baykar for land and naval operations. It extends the combat-proven Bayraktar TB2 lineage into a larger, folding-wing airframe with greater payload, longer endurance and short-runway ship compatibility. Baykar presents the type as a "Land and Marine" platform with 24+ hours endurance, 280 kg payload, six hardpoints and line-of-sight plus beyond-line-of-sight control options on its official TB3 product page.

The system's defining role is shipborne fixed-wing unmanned aviation. It was purpose-built around Turkey's TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, which Ankara has recast as a drone-capable carrier after the collapse of its F-35B path. In November 2024, TB3 conducted autonomous takeoff and landing from Anadolu without catapult or arresting gear, a milestone independently reported by The War Zone and Naval News.

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