Baykar, a Turkish drone manufacturer, has revealed fresh information about its newest drone, which is meant to take off from ships loaded with unmanned aircraft. The Bayraktar TB-3, which is still under development, will be a larger and more competent model in the same family as the TB-2, according to Selcuk Bayraktar, the company’s chief technical officer, during a Gebze Technology University-sponsored online presentation on August, 4.
“No fixed-wing UAV could take off from LHD-class, short-runway ships when we started this project,” he stated, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles and landing helicopter dock navy warships. “We feel the TB-3 will fill a gap in this field since it can stay in the air for a lengthy amount of time and is armed with ammunition,” Bayraktar added.
The new TB-3 drones will be deployed on Turkey’s planned Anadolu Landing Helicopter Dock.
“A basic roller system and rescue nets would be enough for secure takeoff and landing, and it can even land without a rescue net,” Bayraktar said, adding that the ship doesn’t require complicated launch and trap systems.
The roller device will be driven by an electric motor, according to TurDef, a Turkish online military website. The drone will be secured by nets during landing. The reasoning goes that because the propellers are towards the back of the platform, no moving parts will be harmed during the operation.
According to an infographic in the presentation, the new armed drone would have a takeoff weight of 1450 kilograms and will be able to fly 24 hours a day. Furthermore, the TB-3 will be able to fly at high altitudes and will be able to fold its wings while docked. In 2022, it is expected to take to the skies for the first time.
On the LHD Anadolu, Selcuk Bayraktar also said that MIUS, an unmanned combat aircraft presently in concept design, would fly alongside the TB-3. In 2023, a MIUS prototype is expected to take to the skies. Once testings are finished, LHD Anadolu will deploy two types of fixed-wing unmanned air assets.
The Turkish government hopes to convert its landing helicopter dock Anadolu into a carrier ship for attack drones, because the Turkish navy lost the ability to launch fixed-wing aircraft from Anadolu after the United States dropped Turkey from the F-35 program. At least 10 armed drones could be employed in operations at the same time once the project is done, and they’ll be incorporated into a ship’s command and control center.
Between 30 and 50 Bayraktar TB3 folding-wing drones will be deployed by Anadolu.
