The Bayraktar TB3 UAV, developed domestically and originally by Baykar, successfully completed its 14th flight test, remaining airborne for 9 hours. The national UAV has now reached a total flight time of 108 hours.
The Bayraktar TB3 UAV made its first flight on October 27th and subsequently underwent a series of system identification, system performance, altitude performance, and long-flight tests. Having broken its own record by remaining airborne for 32 hours on December 20th, the Bayraktar TB3 also demonstrated successful performance in its 14th flight test on December 24th.
The Bayraktar TB3 UAV took flight with the PD-170 engine, developed domestically by TEI. Capable of taking off and landing from ships with short runways like the TCG Anadolu thanks to its foldable wings, the Bayraktar TB3 had previously been displayed on the flight deck of the TCG Anadolu, dubbed the world's first UAV ship, alongside Türkiye's first unmanned combat aircraft, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA.
The Bayraktar TB3 UAV is capable of conducting reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence gathering missions, as well as carrying out operations with domestically produced smart munitions. Possessing both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communication capabilities, the Bayraktar TB3 can be controlled from very long distances.
