Bayraktar TB3 Flies with ASELFLIR-500; First Flight from TCG Anadolu Amphibious Assault Ship in 2024

Turkey's Bayraktar TB3 UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) has conducted its maiden flight test equipped with the indigenous electro-optical system ASELFLIR-500.

Developed by Baykar, the Bayraktar TB3 Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has been undergoing intensive testing. Its flight, integrated with the ASELFLIR-500 electro-optical system from Aselsan, occurred during the Medium Altitude System Identification and Performance Test at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, Baykar said in a statement on March 27.

During the test, the ASELFLIR-500 demonstrated its capability to track the Bayraktar AKINCI UAV.

The Bayraktar TB3 will be the world's first armed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of taking off from- and landing on short-runway vessels like the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, owing to its foldable wing structure. Testing from the TCG Anadolu is planned for 2024, Baykar has confirmed.

Integration of the ASELFLIR-500 system enhances the Bayraktar TB3's capabilities, including beyond-line-of-sight communication, which extends its operational range. This advancement is expected to improve Turkey's reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence gathering capabilities, as well as its precision strike capabilities using smart munitions.