According to a report by the Navy News website on June 3, 2024, on June 1, 2024, the Turkish company Beka announced the first ski-jump take-off test of a TB3 UAV with the aircraft number PT-1 at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Kessan, Edirne province. The ski-jump runway was built according to the specifications of the Anadolu amphibious assault ship's deck, painted the same color as the ship's deck, and a 12-degree ski-jump deck was also installed. The drone successfully took off from the simulated deck four times during this test, marking the beginning of the pre-ship testing phase of the drone and the 46th flight test of the TB3 drone. The test gained valuable experience for the first flight of the TB3 UAV aboard the Turkish Navy's flagship amphibious assault ship, the Anadolu.

The TB3 UAV is a carrier-based short takeoff and landing UAV developed by Becca Company. The length of the UAV is 8.35 meters, the height is 2.6 meters, and the wingspan is 14 meters. The maximum takeoff weight is 1.45 tons and the payload capacity is 280 kg. Using Turkey's TEI 2.1-liter heavy oil four-cylinder water-cooled in-line supercharged 172 HP PD170 engine and three-bladed propeller, the maximum speed is 160 knots /296 km/h, the cruise speed is 125 knots /231 km/h, and the endurance is more than 24 hours. The maximum usable ceiling is 9144 m and the maximum mission radius is 2200 km at 6096 m. For carrier use, the aircraft has been specially designed with hinged folding wings that can be folded at an Angle of more than 160 degrees to reduce parking space, and has been designed with retractable landing gear, reinforced for ski-jump takeoff requirements, air bag de-icing for increased flight safety, and enhanced corrosion resistance at sea.

In terms of the photoelectric turret, the early TB3 used the CATS photoelectric turret, and later used the ASELFLIR 500 photoelectric pod of Turkey ASELSAN company for test flight, which weighs about 50 kg and uses 1280x1024 MWIR medium-wave infrared. The 1280x1024 short-wave infrared (SWIR) and 1920x1080 day color CCD, laser target irradiance, laser rangefinder and laser pointer constitute an advanced sensor array for laser visualization in multi-scene channels. The image processing system integrates new technologies such as AI system and image fusion algorithm, with target recognition and independent classification, threat identification, attack priority ranking, target abnormal temperature difference alarm and smoke transmittable observation capabilities.

TB3 UAV communication can use line-of-sight data link transmission, its head is raised, the internal installation of Ctech company Sky ARX Ku-18 airborne satellite antenna, equipped with 45.72 cm antenna and lightweight equipment, the installation is relatively simple, can provide IP communication in the movement, can send real-time, full-dynamic high-definition video in the air. Conduct secure data communications and perform mission-critical communications during flight. TB3 has six hangers under the wing, which can carry MAMC, MAM-L precise-guided munitions, BOZOK laser-guided rockets, KUZGUN modular glide munitions, Archer mini cruise missiles, and can also mount a variety of new pods such as sonobuoy pods, data forwarding relay pods, SAR radars, etc. The performance is still very comprehensive.

According to the company's website, the TB3 has logged 395 hours and 43 minutes in test flights. On October 27, 2023, TB3's PT-1 prototype held its maiden flight ceremony at the Jollu Flight Training and Test Center in northwestern Turkey, after a long flight test on December 20, 2023, the PT-1 stayed in the air for 32 hours without landing, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometers. Two ceiling tests were conducted on February 2 and May 2, 2024, and PT-1 left its base airfield near the AKINCI Research Center in Joelu, Tekilda Province, on May 22, flying 120 km in formation with an AKINCI unmanned combat aircraft. During the continuous test flights, it was clear that the Turks had gained considerable experience, hence the ski jump takeoff.

The Anadolu Anadolu amphibious assault ship has a full deck and ski jump deck design, which was originally for F-35B aboard the ship, and the F-35B was not able to get it after the United States broke off. The ship displaces 27,079 tons in amphibious configuration, 24,660 tons in light carrier configuration, 232 meters long, 32 meters wide, draft depth of 6.9 meters, crew 261, 30 officers, 49 non-commissioned officers, 59 command personnel and 123 ordinary crew. The ship is fitted with five Navantia Man diesel generators with a capacity of 8,000kW, two 11MW Siemens SiPOD electric propulsion pods and two 1500kW bow thrusters, with a speed of 21 knots and a range of 9,000 nautical miles at 16 knots. The ship is equipped with a light cargo garage of 1,880 square meters, a docking bay of 1,165 square meters, and a heavy duty garage of 1,410 square meters, which can accommodate 4 LCM or 2 LCAC. Inside, there is a 5,440 square meter flight deck and a 990 square meter aviation hangar that can accommodate 12 medium helicopters or eight Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy helicopters. When the aviation hangar and light cargo hangar are combined, the ship can carry up to 25 medium helicopters.

As a UAV carrier, the Anadolu is capable of using more than 30 TB3 UAVs to extend its over-the-horizon communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, some of which have carrier-like long-range strike capabilities, and thus is indeed the only option for Turkey, which lacks carrier-based fighters. But the TB3 still has to pass a long test before it can get on board. After all, it is easy to take off, how to overcome the lift of the deck wind on the deck of the warship, whether the use of arresting facilities is a big problem, not to mention the integration of the Anadolu and the UAV monitoring and control station, after solving these difficulties, the Anadolu can have a complete strike capability!

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