The Bayraktar TB3, Türkiye's new unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), tailored for the country's first aircraft carrier, achieved a new milestone by reaching the highest altitude so far, its maker Baykar announced Tuesday.
Baykar said that the TB3 reached an altitude of 36,310 feet (11 kilometers) as part of high-altitude system identification and performance tests.
The Bayraktar TB3 is equipped with the PD-170 engine developed domestically by Turkish aerospace engine manufacturer Tusas Engine Industries (TEI).
The drone’s performance brings it closer to the national aviation's altitude record of 45,118 feet (13.7 kilometers) held by the Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV, also developed by Baykar.
The ramp the Bayraktar TB3 took off from during the tests mimics the conditions on the deck of the TCG Anadolu, the Turkish Navy's amphibious assault ship, where it will be deployed.
The TB3 has logged 445 hours and 3 minutes of flight time during the tests.
On Dec. 20, 2023, it completed a 32-hour flight covering 3,541 miles (5,700 kilometers).
With its folding wing structure, the Bayraktar TB3 will be the first UCAV capable of taking off and landing from short-runway ships such as the TCG Anadolu. The company plans to begin testing on the TCG Anadolu in 2024, Baykar Chairperson Selçuk Bayraktar previously announced.
Turkish drones produced by Baykar have played a significant role in various conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, where they have been used for surveillance and precision strikes.
These drones have been credited with changing the dynamics of warfare, providing critical support to operations and demonstrating the effectiveness of unmanned aerial systems in modern combat.
Baykar, which has carried out all its projects with its own resources since the beginning, has obtained 83% of all its income from exports since the beginning of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) R&D process in 2003.
Achieving exports of $1.8 billion (TL 60 billion) in 2023, Baykar was among the top 10 companies with the most exports in all sectors in the country.
The company, which received the "Champions of Export Award," became the export leader of the defense and aviation industry in 2021, 2022 and 2023, according to the data of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM).
Obtaining more than 90% of its revenues from exports in recent years, Baykar alone accounted for a third of the exports made in the defense sector last year.
