Türkiye successfully deployed two Bayraktar TB3 armed drones on its flagship vessel, TCG Anadolu, during the ongoing Denizkurdu-2025 naval exercise. This marks the first time two domestically produced drones have operated simultaneously from a short-runway ship.
The drones, identified as PT-3 and PT-4, flew from Keşan and landed autonomously on TCG Anadolu. Tests included ammunition loading and fully autonomous takeoffs and landings, controlled by an onboard ground station using AI-supported flight systems.
Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar and Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu observed the operations. The TB3 drones will conduct missile strikes on land targets and perform a formation flight during the exercise’s key event on May 14.
Bayraktar TB3 is the first drone in the world capable of autonomous operations on a short-runway naval ship, highlighting Türkiye’s growing defense technology capabilities.
