Baykar Bayraktar TB3

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)

Turkiye | 2023

"The Baykar Bayraktar TB3 stands as the next evolution in the potent TB line of attack drones offered by Turkish industry."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from official Baykar artist renderings.

The Bayraktar TB3 is an in-development, dimensionally larger and heavier, evolution of the Bayraktar TB2 line (detailed elsewhere on this site). The TB series is part of the growing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) capabilities being exhibited by the nation of Turkey as its indigenous industry continues to expand in this field. The TB2, itself developed from the prototype-minded TB1, flew for the first time in August of 2014 and entered service in 2015, seeing operations take place globally across the skies of North Africa, the Middle East, and Lower Asia. In particular, the line has been notable for its successes as an unmanned armed reconnaissance / strike platform in the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and in Ukraine following the Russian invasion of its neighbor. The TB3 retains the same Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) classification of the TB2.

A first-flight of the TB3 is planned for some time in 2022 with service introduction through the Turkish Armed Forces tentatively scheduled for 2023.

The external form of the TB2 has been slightly revised in the TB3 variant. The fuselage has been expanded for greater internal volume while the mainplanes remain straight, clipped appendages emanating from the streamlined body. A wing-folding feature is given to the mainplanes for improved storage capabilities and supported naval / shipborne, over-water service. The twin-boom tail unit with conjoined, inward-canted vertical fins is retained from the TB2 as is the wheeled, retractable tricycle undercarriage arrangement utilized for ground-running. The optics are held in a "blister" pack / turret under the forward section of the fuselage, giving unobstructed 360-degree views of the action below.

Dimensions of the air vehicle include an overall length of 27.4 feet, a wingspan of 46 feet, and a height of 8.5 feet. MTOW is to reach 3,200 lb with the payload capacity rated up to 620lb. Drive power will stem from a single TEI PD170 engine set at the rear of the fuselage in "pusher" arrangement. The avionics set will encompass Electro-Optical (EO) and InfraRed (IR) imaging and accommodate AESA (Active, Electronically-Scanned Array) radar and targeting sensors.

Performance-wise, the air vehicle will have a maximum speed of 185 miles-per-hour and cruise at around 145 mph. If taking the TB2 as a starting point, the TB3 will reach operating altitudes of at least 25,000 feet and fly for over 24 hours.

Structurally, the TB3 will be arranged with up to six underwing hardpoints for the carrying of various precision-guided munitions including anti-tank solutions, anti-infantry mortars, and laser-guided rockets. This will make the newer entry much more tactically flexible than the earlier TB2.

Taking all this into account, the TB3 is set to be larger, heavier, and offer greater performance than the preceding TB2 design. Take-off and landings will be completely automatic and communications set to support both Line-of-Sight (loS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLoS) ranges.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).

1 x TEI PD170 engine driving a two-bladed propeller unit in pusher arrangement at the rear of the fuselage.
Propulsion

186 mph
300 kph | 162 kts
Max Speed

146 mph
235 kph | 127 kts
Cruise Speed

31,168 ft
9,500 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

124 miles
200 km | 108 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

27.4 ft
8.35 m
O/A Length

45.9 ft
(14.00 m)
O/A Width

8.5 ft
(2.60 m)
O/A Height

2,579 lb
(1,170 kg)
Empty Weight

3,197 lb
(1,450 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) provided across 6 hardpoints.

Various types to be supported including Precision-Guided Munitions (PGMs), smart bombs, laser-guided rockets, anti-infantry mortars, and the like.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 family line.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Baykar Bayraktar TB3. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Kale-Baykar Makina - Turkey

[ Turkey (probable) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 200mph

Lo: 100mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (186mph).

Graph Average of 150 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

1

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

1 / 2

Image from official Baykar artist renderings.

2 / 2

Image from official Baykar artist renderings.

❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

GROUND ATTACK

CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT

MARITIME / NAVY

RECONNAISSANCE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).

Bayraktar TB2

Going Further...
The Baykar Bayraktar TB3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) appears in the following collections:

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