The Bayraktar TB3, a drone developed by Türkiye's magnate Baykar, demonstrated remarkable performance at a major NATO drill while carrying out a joint exercise with Eurofighter jets, thus proving its NATO interoperability and coherence.
The advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) delivered an extraordinary showing by remaining airborne for eight hours and covering 1,700 kilometers (over 1,050 miles), while carrying out joint missions alongside Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, its developer said on Saturday.
Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said in a statement that, within the scope of the Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, one of the key activities conducted in the Baltic region, the Bayraktar TB3 took off from TCG Anadolu and flew for eight hours, covering 1,700 kilometers during its joint mission with the Eurofighters.
The TB3's long-endurance flight demonstrated the platform’s durability, communication capabilities and ability to operate in joint missions.
Operating in the Baltic region, an environment characterized by dense air traffic and integrated NATO air assets, the TB3’s coordinated mission execution with the Eurofighters highlighted the level of compliance of Türkiye’s unmanned systems with NATO standardization.
This also showed that the Turkish defense industry has reached a level of maturity in unmanned systems that allows for integration into alliance missions.
Bayraktar TB3 was one of the shining stars of the NATO drill, firstly by conducting its first overseas sortie from Türkiye's drone carrier TCG Anadolu, but then also by proving its strength and endurance in the joint exercise with advanced jet types such as Eurofighter.
The joint mission with Eurofighter aircraft also serves as a test case for the future combat concept, in which manned and unmanned platforms are expected to operate together.
Türkiye last year agreed to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets under a deal with the U.K.
As Türkiye moves forward with the procurement process of the Eurofighters, their induction into the Turkish Air Forces Command inventory will make interoperability with platforms such as the TB3 increasingly critical.
Baykar, at the same time, is working on the development of its stealth Kızılelma jet, which has also undergone a series of critical tests last year.
Türkiye, a member of NATO since 1952, boasts the second-largest army in the alliance and serves as an important part of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. The nation, with its progress in the defense industry over the past two decades, is also emerging as a strong contributor with its advanced technology, as seen in the Bayraktar TB3 example.