Baykar

Türkiye's Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle before launch.

Türkiye's Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) achieved a milestone in aviation history by becoming the first drone to take off and land successfully on a short-deck ship.

The milestone was reached on Tuesday, as the TB3 operated from the short-runway carrier TCG Anadolu.

The SAHA Expo, Türkiye's flagship defense and aerospace event, witnessed the signing of agreements totaling $6.2 billion.

Some 1,478 companies, 178 foreign buying delegates and 312 officials, as well as 24 government ministers, participated in the event, organized by the Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association (SAHA) last week.

Defense company Aselsan has announced that it signed deals with drone maker Baykar amounting to $95.1 million.

Some 55 Turkish defense contractors participated in the Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX held in Baku, showcasing homegrown aircraft and more.

The Turkish defense companies that participated in the expo include Aselsan, Roketsan, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Roketsan, Asfat, Baykar, and Ulak Communication, as well as the Turkish Defense Industry Agency (SSB).

Türkiye has emerged as the world's largest supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles and armed drones, according to a U.S.-based think tank.

A report issued earlier this month by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) said Türkiye, China and the United States have collectively made 69 armed military drone sales to 40 different countries since 2018.

Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman and chief technology officer (CTO) of Türkiye's leading drone maker Baykar, topped the list of highest-income taxpayers in 2023, the country's Revenue Administration said on Aug. 28.

Last year, 1.95 billion Turkish Liras ($52.4 million) of income tax accrued to Selçuk Bayraktar.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has praised the Turkish drone Bayraktar Akıncı for its role in locating the wreckage following a helicopter crash involving Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation.

Baykar, the Turkish defense contractor run by the son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Selcuk Bayraktar, has referred to Ankara's controversial expansionist doctrine in a press release hailing a firing test at sea with its newly developed "Bayraktar Akinci" unarmed combat aerial vehicle, saying it "showcased its impact in the Blue Homeland."

Some 39 Turkish defense companies are attending the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) this year, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) has said.

Akıncı, the armed unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Turkish defense company Baykar, has achieved a precise hit on a target at sea from a distance of 100 kilometers in a test launch using the domestically developed Çakır cruise missile.