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Turkish UAV technology development and testing

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-23 01:52 UTC → 2026-09-23 14:23 UTC · added removed

Turkey has conducted successful testing of advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies and integration capabilities. In August 2026, Baykar completed flight tests for the Bayraktar KALKAN, a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAV, on various naval platforms including the TCG Anadolu and the MİLGEM Ada-class corvette TCG Burgazada. These tests demonstrated the platform’s ability to perform reconnaissance and surveillance missions from different types of warships without the need for a runway. By September 2026, testing expanded to include electronic warfare and surveillance systems integrated into Bayraktar TB2 drones. During live trials in Konya, ASELSAN demonstrated a unified operational cycle using ANTIDOT electronic support and countermeasure pods alongside the FULMAR 200 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) pod to detect, geolocate, and disrupt radar tracking. Later in September 2026, during During the Turkish Navy’s Denizkurdu-I/2026 exercise in exercises held between September 20 and 25 across the Black Sea, Marmara Sea, Aegean, and Eastern Mediterranean, the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) successfully completed live sonobuoy deployment tests. achieved a significant milestone in anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Operating from the flight deck of the TCG Anadolu, the TB3 utilized an indigenously developed Sonobuoy Dispenser System (SAS POD) to launch successfully deployed two sonobuoys. In a demonstration of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, sonobuoys using the TB3 coordinated with a maritime patrol aircraft. indigenously developed Baykar SAS POD system. The UAV’s onboard architecture processed TB3 demonstrated advanced data processing capabilities by integrating and processing acoustic telemetry from both its own sensors deployed sonobuoys and those of the manned aircraft, providing real-time underwater acoustic tracking data to the command network. dropped by a coordinated maritime patrol aircraft. This event marked the first time a Turkish-made UAV deployed sonobuoys performed live sonobuoy deployment in an operational maritime environment. International defense media noted that the TB3 is among a very limited number of unmanned platforms globally, such as the US-made MQ-9B SeaGuardian, capable of performing such complex integrated sensor tasks.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-23 14:23 UTC Turkish UAV technology development and testing
  2. 2026-09-23 01:52 UTC Turkish UAV technology development and testing
  3. 2026-09-20 04:34 UTC Turkish UAV technology development and testing
  4. 2026-09-18 12:36 UTC Turkish UAV technology development and testing

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