Baykar’s Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has completed a new firing test, striking a land-based target with a Roketsan-made laser-guided missile for the first time.
The test was conducted to evaluate the platform’s short-range strike capability, demonstrated through the launch of the CIRIT missile from a single-round pod.
The result positions the UCAV as a solution for time-sensitive targets that are beyond the reach of the company’s smaller smart micro-munitions.
It also expands the system’s potential role against small naval platforms, including unmanned surface vessels, which have reportedly been adapted as kamikaze assets.
The integration of CIRIT further suggests the TB3 could support counter-drone missions, including the use of the CIRIT C-UAS variant designed to engage low-flying aerial targets.
Although the test used a single-round configuration, the TB3 can carry four-round pods, enabling engagement of multiple targets in a single sortie.
This capability could also reduce reliance on more expensive air defense missiles for Turkish naval forces.
Previous Milestone
Earlier this year, the TB3 scored direct hits on a surface target over the Baltic sea after launching from the Turkish Navy’s TCH Anadolu warship.
That trial marked the first operational deployment of the UCAV outside Turkish airspace, demonstrating its ability to operate in real-world mission conditions beyond controlled environments.
The TB3 remains under development but has already demonstrated extended-range control capabilities, supported by both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications systems.
