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Bayraktar TB3 carrier-based UAS flies for 32 hours

21st December 2023 - 16:23 GMT | by Shephard News Team in London

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It has been rumoured that the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 will have a higher payload capacity than the TB2. (Photo: Baykar)

Baykar’s Bayraktar TB3 has demonstrated its endurance with a 32-hour flight test, covering 5700km, underscoring the US potential utility in maritime surveillance and combat operations,

Turkish drone maker Baykar has demonstrated its new Bayraktar TB3 combat UAS endurance by flying it for 32 hours, covering a distance of 5,700km at an average altitude of 20,000 feet.

The 13^th test flight, dubbed Endurance Flight Test, highlighted the TB3’s potential for surveillance use cases. Baykar announced the TB3 project in late 2020 as a development of the TB2 that would be capable of landing and taking off from an LHD Anadolu carrier.

Staying in the sky for an extended time could be useful for the UAS in assisting the carrier’s safety and in escorting ships against small boats and airborne attacks.

In addition to surveillance and reconnaissance, the shipborne system will be able to conduct air-to-air engagements with the smart munitions stationed under its wings, according to Baykar.

It has been widely rumoured that the TB3 will have a higher payload capacity than the TB2, which has a payload capacity of 150kg. Baykar’s latest UAS is also set to receive SATCOM-based control capability, allowing it to take advantage of the total flight distance to a greater degree.

Bayraktar TB3