Bayraktar TB3 UCAV to be Armed with Roketsan’s SUNGUR Air-to-Air Missile

Turkish drone maker Baykar is planning to integrate its sea-based Bayraktar TB3 with Roketsan's SUNGUR Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS).

This was reported by SavunmaSanayiST.com today. The Bayraktar TB3's air-to-air capability involves repurposing the SUNGUR, originally a shoulder-launched air-to-air missile, into an air-to-air munition. To facilitate this capability, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar integration is underway in collaboration with ASELSAN.

The drone made its debut at the UMEX-2024 in the U.A.E.

With a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 1,450 kilograms and a payload capacity of 280 kilograms, the Bayraktar TB3 is a heavier and more capable successor to the Bayraktar TB2. The UCAV's foldable wing structure distinguishes it as the world's first armed unmanned aerial vehicle designed for takeoff and landing on short-runway ships, such as the TCG Anadolu, commissioned earlier this year.

The Bayraktar TB3 is slated to employ a variety of air-to-surface and air-to-air munitions developed by ROKETSAN, TÜBİTAK SAGE, ASELSAN, EDGE Group, and Baykar. ROKETSAN's contribution includes the MAM family of smart munitions, and the inclusion of the SUNGUR air defense missiles in a single pod configuration provides an additional option for the UCAV.

Previously, a deal was signed during the SAHA EXPO 2022 exhibition to integrate SUNGUR missiles on AKINCI and Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. UCAVs armed with short-range air defense missiles can potentially conduct extended small-scale air patrols when networked with ground radars like KALKAN-II and ERALP. The SUNGUR missile system, designed for short-range air defense with an 8 km range and a minimum range of 500 m, can target fixed-wing and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft through its Lock-On Before Launch mode.

The Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, designed for marine operations, is expected to take off and land on short runway flight decks. The SUNGUR Air Defense Missile System, which operates on land, naval platforms, and unmanned aerial vehicles, is integrated with the Air Defence Early Warning Command and Control System, supporting easy target acquisition and launch through voice instructions.