As part of the Seawolf-II/2025 (DENİZKURDU-II 2025) naval exercise conducted by the Turkish Naval Forces Command, the drone carrier TCG Anadolu served as the stage for a major milestone in the integration of unmanned aerial systems into maritime operations. During the operation, two Bayraktar TB3 combat drones carried out attack tests using MAM-L munitions, marking a strategic advancement for Turkish naval aviation.
According to Baykar, the company behind the development of the TB3s, the unmanned aircraft, identified by tail numbers PT-3 and PT-4, took off on May 9 from the town of Keşan and were successfully deployed aboard the TCG Anadolu, an amphibious assault platform operating as a light aircraft carrier.
Once on board the ship, munition loading tests were conducted, followed by consecutive takeoffs and landings. All operations were performed fully autonomously through mission algorithms supported by artificial intelligence, developed by Baykar. These activities were controlled in real time from the Ground Control Station (GCS) installed on the TCG Anadolu itself.
Salvo attacks and ceremonial flights
During the exercise, the TB3 drones carried out salvo attacks against land targets, each employing two MAM-L munitions. A formation flight and ceremonial flyovers around the TCG Anadolu are scheduled for May 14, 2025, during Distinguished Visitors Day, one of the key moments of the Seawolf-II exercise.
Historic milestones for naval aviation
The Bayraktar TB3 has become the world’s first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) to perform fully autonomous takeoffs and landings from a short-deck vessel. Since April 22, the TB3s have completed a total of 24 test missions over the Gulf of Saros, solidifying their shipborne operational capabilities.
On April 25, prototype PT-4 achieved its first landing on the ship, marking the beginning of the first simultaneous operation of two domestically produced combat drones aboard the TCG Anadolu.
Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Baykar, and Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, personally attended the trials, overseeing the technological advances achieved.
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