The exercise marked a further milestone in Turkish naval aviation, as the Bayraktar TB3 demonstrated its short-runway autonomous capability and operational firepower during NATO’s largest and most comprehensive exercise of 2026. Following the live-fire mission, soldiers from participating nations reportedly awarded full marks to the indigenous UCAV after its successful strikes against naval targets.
As the world’s first UCAV capable of taking off and landing on short-runway ships, the Bayraktar TB3’s participation was described as strategically significant due to its first operational deployment in an overseas theatre. Three Bayraktar TB3 platforms are currently deployed aboard TCG ANADOLU, and their performance in the Baltic Sea has drawn interest from NATO allies.
Further demonstrations are planned during the exercise, including a coordinated mission in which two Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs will launch consecutively from TCG ANADOLU. Under the plan, one platform will conduct a salvo MAM-L strike, while the second is scheduled to deploy the higher-destructive-power MAM-T munition.
During the Distinguished Visitors Day, the Bayraktar TB3 is set to present a special flight demonstration for NATO senior command, with a long-range flight mission also considered among possible scenarios. Defence experts regard the presence of TCG ANADOLU and its accompanying Turkish naval task group in the Baltic Sea as a key element of deterrence within allied defence plans.
Baykar stated that it has financed all projects entirely from its own resources since its establishment and remained the world’s largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment in 2025. The company reported export revenues of $2.2 billion in 2025, with 90 per cent of income derived from exports in recent years, and confirmed it has signed export agreements with 37 countries, including 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 16 for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.
