According to information published by Daily Sabah on March 27, 2023, Baykar, the Turkish defense company known for its Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), is set to unveil its latest platform designed for naval operations.

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 Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. (Picture source: Baykar)

The new drone called the TB3, is a short-runway-capable version of the TB2 and has been designed as a naval drone capable of landing and taking off from short runways and ship decks.

The TB3 will be displayed for the first time at Türkiye’s largest aviation, space, and technology festival Teknofest in late April. The platform is tailored for the Turkish navy ship, TCG Anadolu, and is expected to start performing flight tests within 2023.

About the TB3

The TB3 UCAV has a length of 8.35 meters, a height of 2.6 meters, and a wingspan of 14 meters. It has a maximum take-off weight of 1,450 kilograms and a payload capacity of 280 kilograms.

The powerplant is expected to be a TEI PD170 engine. The UCAV has a maximum speed of 160 knots and a cruise speed of 125 knots. Its communication range is line-of-sight propagation.

For armaments, the UCAV has six hardpoints for laser-guided smart munition, and can carry combinations of L-UMTAS, MAM-C, MAM-L, and MAM-T precision-guided munitions, Roketsan Cirit 70mm missile system, TUBITAK-SAGE BOZOK laser-guided rockets, TUBITAK-SAGE TOGAN air-to-surface launched 81mm mortar munition, and TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN modular joint ammunition.

The UCAV's avionics system can be equipped with interchangeable EO/IR/LD imaging and targeting sensor systems or a multi-mode AESA radar, such as the Aselsan CATS EO/IR/LD imaging and targeting sensor.