Turkey has conducted a large-scale air-sea demonstration in the Mediterranean involving fully networked unmanned systems, just days after strong statements by Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias.
The exercise showcased complete integration between Baykar and Aselsan platforms using real-time data links.
Bayraktar TB3 controls unmanned sea vehicle
A Bayraktar TB3 armed UAV took off from the deck of the TCG Anadolu helicopter carrier. While airborne, it assumed remote control of the Aselsan Albatros-S KİDA unmanned surface vessel (USV). The USV, guided solely by the TB3, successfully located and destroyed a sea-surface target.
Strikes against island targets
Two additional Bayraktar TB3 drones launched from Anadolu carried out precision strikes against ground targets on a designated island target.
- One drone fired Roketsan MAM-L and MAM-T munitions.
- The second launched the artificial-intelligence-guided KEMANKEŞ-1 mini cruise missile.
All targets were hit successfully.
After the mission, one TB3 landed back on Anadolu while the second flew directly to its base in Keşan.
Military delegations from Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan and Brazil observed the exercise.
Clear political timing
Ankara presented the demonstration as proof of operational maturity in combined unmanned air-sea warfare and of its ability to project power from offshore platforms across the “Blue Homeland”.
The highly publicised strikes against “island targets” carry obvious symbolic weight amid heightened rhetoric over the Aegean.
Turkish defence industry sources emphasise that the entire exercise was timed to underline Turkey’s technological independence and regional dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Baykar continues export success
Baykar, which funds all UAV research and development with its own revenue, earned 83 % of its income from exports in 2023 (USD 1.8 billion) and 90 % in 2024 (another USD 1.8 billion). The company has secured export contracts with 37 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 and with 16 countries for the heavier Akinci.
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