During NATO's Steadfast Dart-2026 exercise, the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, deployed aboard TCG ANADOLU, successfully completed its flight demonstration over the Baltic Sea despite freezing cold, heavy snowfall, and severe winds. As the only aircraft capable of flying in the harsh weather conditions during this phase of the exercise, the Bayraktar TB3 received full marks from allied nations' representatives.

GERMANY / KIEL
17 FEBRUARY 2026

The Turkish defense industry continues to demonstrate the level of reliability it has achieved in naval aviation under the most challenging conditions of the Baltic Sea. During the latest phase of Steadfast Dart 2026—one of NATO’s largest exercises—Baykar conducted a flight demonstration with the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV in freezing conditions, with temperatures dropping to –5°C, heavy snowfall, and fierce winds.

FULL PERFORMANCE IN FREEZING COLD
Despite the harsh winter conditions in the Baltic Sea during the exercise, the Bayraktar TB3 took off autonomously from TCG ANADOLU’s short runway and demonstrated its aviation capabilities to representatives of allied nations. Maintaining stable flight characteristics despite the turbulent conditions created by fierce winds over the sea, the indigenous UCAV successfully completed its flight mission and performed an autonomous landing on TCG ANADOLU—whose runway had to be cleared of ice due to the severe cold. As the only aircraft capable of flying in the challenging weather conditions that grounded fighter jets and helicopters participating in the exercise, the Bayraktar TB3 received full marks from the allied nations' representatives who observed the flight demonstration.

MISSION-READY IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS
These successful flights, carried out following recent operations in the same area where surface targets were struck with pinpoint accuracy in dual salvo MAM-L strikes, once again demonstrated that the indigenous UCAV is operationally capable of performing missions in all weather conditions.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Having funded all its projects entirely from its own resources since its inception, Baykar continued to be the world’s largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment in 2025. Maintaining its leadership in the global UCAV market over the past three years, Baykar broke its own record with an export volume of $2.2 billion in 2025. Deriving 90% of its revenue from exports in recent years, Baykar has become the driving force of Türkiye’s high-technology exports.

BAYKAR: THE WORLD’S LARGEST UAV COMPANY
Having ranked among the top 10 exporting companies across all sectors in Türkiye in 2023 and 2024 and winning the Export Champions Award, Baykar became the export leader of the defense and aerospace sector in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 according to data from the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). Single-handedly accounting for one-third of sector exports in 2023 and one-quarter of total defense and aerospace sector exports in 2024, Baykar has propelled Türkiye to a leading position in the global UCAV export market. As the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 37 countries—36 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 16 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.