The fourth prototype of the Turkish Bayraktar TB3 drone has joined the takeoff and landing tests from the Anadolu amphibious assault ship.
The Bayraktar TB3 made global aviation history as the first drone to take off and land from a short-runway ship after completing its first takeoff and landing test on the Anadolu ship off the coast of Muğla at the end of 2024.
The drone has performed 24 takeoff and landing missions from the ship since the end of 2024. Selcuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baykar Aeronautics, the drone developer, participated in the takeoff and landing tests of the fourth prototype on Friday.
The Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, oversaw the tests from the ground control station.
Baykar is one of the world’s largest drone manufacturers, having signed export agreements with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 and with 11 countries for the Akıncı TİHA tactical drone. The company recorded revenues of $1.8 billion in 2023 and the same figure in 2024.
