Turkey is building carrier ships for “bairaktars”
7.12.2022 - 12:20
Turkey is upgrading its fleet with carriers for the new Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Turkish army is actively modernizing the navy, strengthening it with unmanned technologies. The first light carrier, the landing ship Anadolu, was launched in May 2019. The vessel is designed specifically for the transportation of long-range strike drones. It is about the new Bayraktar TB3 model, reports War on The Rocks.
At first, Anadolu was created on the basis of the landing ship Juan Carlos I, built by the Spanish company Navantia, and was designed to launch American F-35 aircraft. However, the US excluded the Turks from its program due to the purchase of the latest Russian S-400 air defense systems, so Ankara had to look for alternatives. The government decided to turn Anadolu into an aircraft carrier for UAVs.
Anadolu will be equipped with satellite terminals for controlling drones beyond line of sight. This will significantly increase the range of TB3 drones. The aircraft carrier is currently being tested near Istanbul. Turkey plans to put the ship into operation by the end of 2022.
