Türkiye's first aircraft-carrier-capable combat drone has successfully commanded a kamikaze unmanned surface vessel (USV) during a live operation in the Mediterranean, demonstrating a major step forward in its integrated naval-air warfare capabilities.
The Albatros-S kamikaze USV neutralized a sea target after receiving long-range command-and-control data from the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), their developers said on Thursday.
Manufactured by drone powerhouse Baykar, TB3 has been designed for the TCG Anadolu warship, from which it took off for Thursday trials. It is the first of its kind, boasting the ability to fold its wings. In late 2024, it became the first drone to successfully take off and land on a short-runway warship.
Albatros-S is developed by Aselsan and boasts a high level of autonomy, capable of navigating and performing tasks in swarm formation independent of central control.
"The Bayraktar TB3, launched from TCG Anadolu, enabled the long-range command and control of the Aselsan Albatros-S kamikaze USV," Aselsan said of the trial on Thursday.
The firm said that with the Bayraktar TB3 significantly extending its command-and-control envelope, Albatros-S USVs are now poised to become "game-changers" in naval operations.
The operation was observed on-site by high-level military delegations from Italy, the U.K., Spain, Japan and Brazil.
In a separate demonstration off the coast of Antalya, two Bayraktar TB3s launched simultaneously from TCG Anadolu for firing missions.
One drone deployed MAM-T and MAM-L smart munitions developed by Roketsan to hit ground targets on an island, while the other struck using Baykar's AI-powered KEMANKEŞ-1 mini cruise missile.
Baykar, Aselsan and Roketsan are among five Turkish companies ranked in the world's top 100 weapons-producing companies by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). A report published this week said their combined revenues rose 11% in 2024 to $10.1 billion.
