BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) successfully launched sonobuoys during the Seawolf-I/2026 Exercise, demonstrating a new capability in anti-submarine warfare.
The Bayraktar TB3 took off from the TCG Anadolu and conducted the test in the Eastern Mediterranean on September 22. Using the Baykar-developed Sonobuoy Dispenser System, known as the SAS POD, the UCAV successfully released two sonobuoys into the sea.
The mission was conducted in coordination with a maritime patrol aircraft as part of the exercise’s anti-submarine warfare scenario. During the operation, the Bayraktar TB3 processed data from both the sonobuoys it had deployed and those released by the maritime patrol aircraft.
Using its onboard sonobuoy processing unit, the aircraft also provided a real-time display of the underwater data collected during the exercise. The test added another operational capability to the carrier-capable Bayraktar TB3, particularly in maritime surveillance and anti-submarine missions.
The Seawolf-I/2026 Exercise is being conducted from September 20 to 25 simultaneously in the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Elements of Türkiye’s Naval, Land, Air and Coast Guard commands are participating in the drills.
According to Baykar, the company also maintained a strong position in the global unmanned aircraft export market in 2025, recording $2.2 billion in exports. The company says it has signed export agreements with 39 countries, including agreements covering the Bayraktar TB2 and AKINCI platforms.
The successful sonobuoy test represents a significant expansion of the Bayraktar TB3’s maritime mission set, enabling the unmanned aircraft to participate in coordinated operations involving the detection and monitoring of underwater threats.
