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Not long ago, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Turkey, the Turkish company Baika announced the completion of the first flight of the TB-3 Chada integrated UAV. As a carrier-based UAV of the USS Anadolu, the first flight of the TB-3 UAV has attracted widespread attention from the outside world.
Not long ago, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Turkey, the Turkish company Baika announced the completion of the first flight of the TB-3 Chada integrated UAV
It was developed on the basis of the TB-2 Chada integrated UAV
It is reported that the TB-3 UAV is an improvement on the basis of the TB-2 Chada UAV. In recent years, Turkey's TB-2 UAV has performed well on the battlefield and has become a "golden signboard" of Turkish military trade products.
The TB-2 Chada UAV has a total length of 6.5 meters, a wingspan of 12 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 650 kg. It is powered by a 100 hp Rotax-912 piston engine. Its maximum level flight speed can reach 220 km/h, the cruising speed is 130 km/h, the maximum communication range is 150 km, the practical ceiling is 8200 meters, the endurance can reach 27 hours, and the maximum payload is 150 kg.
In terms of fuselage structure, the TB-2 UAV adopts a wing-body fusion layout and an inverted V-shaped tail. The wing-body fusion layout can increase the lift of the fuselage, reduce drag, and increase the internal volume of the fuselage. The engine is located in the tail and drives a variable-pitch two-bladed propeller. The TB-2 UAV adopts a modular design, and the main components such as the wings and inverted V-shaped tail can be removed for easy transportation. The body parts of the TB-2 UAV are mainly made of carbon fiber composite parts, and the important structural frame is made of aluminum alloy material, which has a reliable body structure and good flight performance and stealth performance.
In terms of avionics, the TB-2 UAV is equipped with a multispectral optoelectronic reconnaissance system in the rear of the fuselage, which can be used to monitor ground targets and perform reconnaissance missions. All payload and telemetry data is recorded on the on-board data logger and backhauled back in real time. The avionics of the TB-2 UAV are powered by an alternator and lithium-ion batteries, which allows it to work continuously for a long time.
In local conflicts in recent years, Turkey's TB-2 UAV has performed well on the battlefield and has become a "golden signboard" of Turkish military trade products
In terms of flight control system, the TB-2 UAV adopts a triple redundant digital flight control system, which can achieve autonomous take-off, cruise, landing and taxiing without external remote control. The flight control system can receive the measurement data in addition to the sensors on the plane in real time, and process it through the on-board computer to obtain the flight attitude adjustment instruction, and transmit it to the actuator to complete the automatic adjustment of the flight attitude. The Turks programmed the flight control system, and if necessary, the drone could make a forced landing at the nearest airfield of its own choice. Its flight control system continues to navigate and take off and land autonomously even without a GPS signal.
Each TB-2 combat unit includes 6 UAVs, 2 ground control stations, 3 ground data terminals, 2 remote video terminals, and a number of other ground support equipment. Among them, the ground moving surface station of the TB-2 UAV is designed according to NATO standards. 1 mobile ground station can simultaneously control 3 TB-2 UAVs. Each mobile ground station requires three members – a drone pilot, a payload operator, and a mission commander. The ground station is equipped with air conditioning and gas filtration devices, which have certain anti-chemical capabilities. Each member has a dual screen in front of them to receive real-time commands and monitor the drone.
In terms of armament, the TB-2 UAV has 4 weapon pylons, which can carry up to 4 laser-guided precision strike ammunition, which is miraculous for striking heavy weapons and equipment on the ground, and the main armament and ammunition are UMTAS anti-tank missiles. The UMTAS anti-tank missile has a total length of 1750 mm, a diameter of 160 mm and a weight of 37.5 kg. The UMTAS anti-tank missile uses a tandem armor-piercing warhead and can effectively attack armored targets. In terms of guidance mode, UMTAS missiles generally use infrared imaging seeker or laser guidance seeker. The UMTAS anti-tank missile has a range of 500-8000 meters and can be used around the clock. The TB-2 UAV can carry one UMTAS anti-tank missile under each wing.
In addition to UMTAS anti-tank missiles, TB-2 drones can also carry laser-guided bombs, such as MAM-L, MAM-C laser-guided bombs, "smart miniature munitions" (SMM), etc.
The TB-3 UAV is the world's first reconnaissance drone capable of taking off and landing from the short flight deck of an amphibious assault ship
Significantly improved TB-3 carrier-based UAV
The development of the TB-3 carrier-based UAV began in 2015, and at the same time as the construction of the amphibious assault ship "Anadolu", Turkey began the development program of the TB-3 carrier-based UAV. ON APRIL 27, 2023, THE TB-3 CARRIER-BASED DRONE MADE ITS DEBUT AT TEKNOFEST 2023 IN TURKEY. On October 27, 2023, the Turkish company Baykar said that the first flight ceremony of the TB-3 UAV was held. The test was conducted at the Chorlu Flight Training and Test Center in northwestern Turkey, and after a preliminary fast taxi test and take-off and landing test, the drone remained in the air for about 2 hours during its first flight. "On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the Bayraktar TB-3 UAV successfully completed its first flight," Baykar employees posed with the TB-3 on his social media account.
The TB-3 UAV is the world's first reconnaissance UAV that can take off and land from the short flight deck of an amphibious assault ship.
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First of all, the volume increases. The TB-3 UAV has a wingspan of 14 meters, a length of 8.35 meters, a height of 2.6 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 1450 kg. For the sake of carriers, the aircraft is specially designed with hinged folding wings that can be folded at an angle of more than 160 degrees to reduce parking space, and the landing gear has also been strengthened to accommodate the requirements of glide takeoff. At the same time, the body has also been targeted to improve corrosion protection to adapt to the high temperature, high humidity and high salt environment at sea.
Compared with the TB-2, the electronic system of the TB-3 UAV has been greatly improved
Secondly, the new engine has been replaced, and the flight speed and load have been upgraded. The TB-3 UAV is equipped with a 2.1-liter heavy-oil four-cylinder water-cooled in-line supercharged 172-horsepower PD170 engine and three-bladed propeller from TEI in Turkey, with a maximum speed of 160 knots/296 km/h, a cruising speed of 125 knots/231 km/h, and a stationing endurance of more than 24 hours. The maximum usable ceiling is 9144 meters, and the maximum mission radius at 6096 meters is 2200 kilometers. The maximum take-off weight is 1.45 tons, the payload capacity is 280 kg.
Third, the electronic system has been greatly improved. THE TB-3 IS SCHEDULED TO USE A CATS-TYPE OPTOELECTRONIC TURRET FROM THE TURKISH COMPANY ASELSAN, WHICH CAN ROTATE 360 DEGREES HORIZONTALLY AND CAN BE FREELY PITCHED BETWEEN +10 AND -105 DEGREES IN THE HOISTING STATE. CATS can be equipped with more than 7 sensors, and the laser range is 25 kilometers.
TB-3 UAV communication can be transmitted using line-of-sight data link, its nose is raised, and Ctech's Sky ARX Ku-18 airborne satellite antenna is installed inside, which uses integrated technology and powerful waveforms to provide IP communication on the move, and can send real-time, full-dynamic high-definition video in the air for secure data communication and mission-critical communication during flight.
Finally, the weapon payload capacity has been greatly improved. The TB-3 UAV has increased the number of weapon attachment points under the wing from 4 to 6, which can be mounted with precision-guided bombs, laser-guided rockets, surface-to-air missiles and gliding bombs, etc., with high strike accuracy, and may also be equipped with anti-ship weapons or air-dropped sonar buoys in the future.
In the future, the TB-3 will be used primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations
epilogue
The TB-3 carrier-based UAV is Turkey's amphibious assault ship "Anadolu", which has now been officially delivered. The amphibious assault ship "Anadolu" is huge in tonnage and size, and it can undoubtedly carry a large number of TB-3 carrier-based UAVs, just like a "drone carrier". A large number of TB-3 carrier-based UAVs can be widely used in intelligence reconnaissance, battlefield surveillance, communication relay, electronic jamming, fire strikes, battle damage assessment, simulation training and other aspects, which can effectively make up for the shortcomings of manned helicopters and carry out various tasks, which is of great significance for improving the combat capability of the Turkish Navy.
Of course, for the Turkish Navy, which lacks experience in taking off and landing carrier-based aircraft, it is not easy to achieve safe take-off and landing of UAVs on the flight deck, and Turkey's domestic UAVs still face some challenges and need to be further upgraded to adapt to maritime operations, we will wait and see.