Unmanned combat aerial vehicle

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.

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).

Greece is set to purchase Switchblade drones from the United States to enhance its military capabilities, according to sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday. The Switchblade, manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc., is a compact loitering munition that flies to a target before detonating. This type of drone has gained prominence due to its use by the Ukrainian military against Russian forces.

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.

Over 2,500 of these drones have been created from July 2023 to July 2024 – The drone has been deployed against military and civilian targets in Ukraine, sources say

Russia began producing a new long-range attack drone, the Garpiya-A1, last year, using Chinese engines and components, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents seen by Reuters.

North Korea has unveiled a new "suicide drone," state media said Monday, with leader Kim Jong Un overseeing a performance test of the weapons, which experts said could have come from Russia.

Wearing a cream baker boy hat, Kim was shown beaming as he watched, aided by high-powered binoculars, as the drones blew up targets, images in state media showed.

"The use of unmanned devices in the air, at sea and on land is almost certainly going to increase," Andrew Novo, professor of strategic studies at the National Defense University, Washington, DC tells Kathimerini in an interview.

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."

Ukraine launched a drone attack on a Russian metal plant in a border region on Wednesday, causing a fire at a fuel tank, the local governor said.

Kiev meanwhile announced it had intercepted dozens of Russian drones as both sides launched a wave of overnight aerial attacks in an attempt to hit targets deep behind the front lines.