Turkey and Israel technologically compete in drones, Bayraktar TB3 against BlueWhale

Turkey is the first country in the world to have an aircraft carrier carrying drones

While Greece remains invisible in the race for arms and new technologies, two Mediterranean countries, Turkey and Israel, are fighting over who will manufacture the most modern drones.
Instead of Greece having a national goal of being a leader in a sector…the national goal is investment quality.
The Greece of mediocrity has become an anachronistic service economy that does not produce anything avant-garde, it is a national drama.
On the contrary, Turkey presented the Bayraktar TB3, the evolution of the Bayraktar TB2 which will even operate in a swarm on the Turkish aircraft carrier.
Israel presented one of the most advanced underwater drones BlueWhale who carried out numerous experimental missions.

The new Turkish Bayraktar TB3 can be transported from an aircraft carrier

A prototype of the Bayraktar TB3 combat drone was presented to the public for the first time at the Teknofest 2023 exhibition, which was held in Istanbul from April 27 to May 1.
Turkey’s leading drone manufacturer, Baykar, has started developing the TB3, a larger modified version of the Bayraktar TB2, in 2021 for use in the Turkish Navy’s TCG Anadolu.
The drone, which is 8.35 meters long, 2.6 meters high and has a wingspan of 14 meters, has retractable wings and retractable landing gear for this purpose.

According to initial plans, the TCG Anadolu was to carry Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter jets, but after the sinking, the Turkish aircraft carrier was modified to accommodate drones.
Turkey is the first country in the world to have an aircraft carrier carrying drones.

The TCG Anadolu, commissioned last April, can carry between 30 and 50 Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aircraft.
The TB3 can carry a payload of 280 kg and is equipped with 6 missiles.
The combat drone can be armed with a variety of precision-guided munitions.
The maximum speed of the drone is 150 knots and the flight speed is 125 knots.
Its maximum altitude is 30,000 feet, while its maximum mission radius is 2,200 kilometers at 20,000 feet.

TB3 will be equipped with CATS, an electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system designed by Turkey’s Aselsan.
Other payloads, including an active multi-mode phased array radar, are under development.
In recent years, Turkey has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of reconnaissance and combat drones.
Turkey is currently developing more advanced drones, aiming to boost its military capabilities as well as its defense exports.

Israel presents an underwater drone

On May 4, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) has revealed that it has developed a new large unmanned submarine, dubbed BlueWhale.
In a statement, Israel Aerospace Industries said the submarine has completed thousands of hours of autonomous operation, including gathering information on marine and coastal targets, acoustic intelligence and presence detection. of mines.

BlueWhale is equipped with a telescopic mast several meters high on which are mounted radars and electro-optical systems to detect marine and coastal targets.
A web-based communications satellite dish enables real-time transfer of collected data to command posts anywhere in the world, at sea or on land.

Submarine detection and audio intelligence collection data are carried out using a towed array sonar tens of meters long as well as through a side array sonar with a receiver installed on either side of the unmanned submarine.

A dedicated synthetic aperture sonar fitted to the sides of the unmanned submarine is used to detect naval mines.

EIn addition, the 12-meter-long BlueWhale is equipped with a suite of sensors that ensure its autonomous passage safely under water or near the surface.
“Based on its advanced engineering capabilities, IAI’s Elta Group succeeded for the first time in the world in building an autonomous submarine capable of performing a wide range of tasks.”
The BlueWhale submarine is an important member of IAI’s maritime product family, which includes solutions for use in economic exclusion zones, autonomous vessel management tools and their integration into arena surveillance. maritime.

BlueWhale can perform a significant portion of the functions of a manned submarine, for periods of several weeks, with minimal cost and maintenance.

Israel has been developing unmanned military systems such as drones since the 1970s.
While it is considered a world leader in unmanned aerial vehicles, it is always striving to improve its autonomous sea and land vehicles.
The new BlueWhale unmanned submarine will pose a real threat to Israel’s regional enemies, especially Syria and Iran.

The Turkish drone Bayraktar TB3