Insight into the TB-3 drone ski-jump takeoff Test: Strategic myths and real-world challenges behind following the trend

Not long ago, the Turkish Baikar company announced that its TB-3 UAV successfully completed the first ski jump takeoff test, which quickly caused widespread concern in the military aviation field. From the released video, we can clearly see that the take-off and landing runway specially made for this test accurately replicates the specifications of the "Anadolu" aircraft carrier deck, and its details, such as the color coating, strive to be consistent with the real environment, which undoubtedly adds some credibility to the authenticity of the test. However, when we delve deeper into this incident, it is not difficult to discover the complex motivations, strategic myths, and practical challenges behind it.

The ski-jump launch test of the TB-3 drone is another example of Turkey following the global trend of drones on ships. In recent years, with the rapid development of UAV technology, the navies of various countries have turned their attention to this emerging field, trying to enhance the reconnaissance, attack and information acquisition capabilities of the fleet by equipping UAV. The advent of the United States MQ-9B carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as the successful demonstration of the British "Mojave" short take-off and landing UAV on an aircraft carrier, provide a strong footnote to this trend. However, Turkey's TB-3 program appears to be more of a follower than a leader in the rush.

The Turkish navy's choice of the TB-3 UAV as the main model of the Anadolu carrier seems to be making up for the carrier's lack of fixed-wing manned aircraft defects, but it may hide a deeper strategic myth. First of all, although UAVs have advantages in reconnaissance, surveillance and some specific strike tasks, their survivability, operational flexibility and ability to respond to emergencies in the complex and changing naval combat environment are still difficult to compare with manned aircraft. Second, in the absence of a sufficient number of advanced manned aircraft, the Turkish Navy's over-reliance on UAVs may further weaken its overall combat capability, creating a "short-board effect."

More critically, whether the development and deployment of the TB-3 UAV is truly in line with the current and future strategic needs of the Turkish Navy is questionable. Given the limited resources, it is a question for the Turkish military to consider whether it should prioritize investment in projects that can significantly enhance the overall capabilities of the navy, rather than blindly follow suit just to fill a technical gap.

Although the TB-3 UAV has shown certain potential in the test, it still faces many practical challenges when it is really on board and forms combat effectiveness. First of all, the technical complexity of UAVs taking off and landing on aircraft carriers is high, and the requirements for flight control systems, navigation systems and shipboard equipment are extremely strict. The successful launch of the TB-3 on the simulated deck is just the beginning of a long road of testing, which will be followed by more complex simulated landing tests and adaptability verification in real sea conditions.

Secondly, the maintenance and support of drones, personnel training and logistics can not be ignored. Compared with manned aircraft, UAVs reduce the risk of pilot casualties, but their complex system structure and high-precision maintenance requirements, but put forward higher requirements for logistics support. In addition, the setting and training of new positions such as drone operators and data analysts is also a long-term and arduous task.

Finally, the cost issue is also a real challenge that the Turkish Navy has to face. The development, production, deployment and maintenance costs of UAVs are high, and for Turkey, which is under greater economic pressure, how to rationally allocate the limited defense budget and ensure the sustainability of the TB-3 UAV project will be a huge test.

To sum up, although the success of the TB-3 UAV ski-jump take-off test shows Turkey's progress in the field of UAV technology to a certain extent, the following mentality, strategic myths and practical challenges reflected behind it cannot be ignored. For the Turkish Navy, how to keep a clear mind in this round of the wave of drones on the ship, clear their own positioning, and reasonable planning of development direction will be the key to whether it can make breakthroughs in the field of military aviation in the future.

In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and profound changes in the international situation, the application of UAVs in the Navy will be more extensive and in-depth. If Turkey wants to occupy a place in this field, it must strengthen cooperation and exchanges with international partners while adhering to independent innovation, and jointly address technical bottlenecks and cost challenges. Only in this way can the TB-3 drone truly become the right hand of the Anadolu aircraft carrier and contribute to the modernization of the Turkish Navy. All this requires the Turkish military to take a more rational and pragmatic attitude to examine and plan the future road of its UAV development.