These regional powers are betting they can build an expendable air force without the massive costs of aircraft carriers, fighter jets and pilots trained to fly them. Naval experts agree that drone ships represent new possibilities while pointing out that these ships fall far short of the aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships that top navies sail. Turkey developed the Bayraktar TB3 naval drone for the Anadolu and claims the unmanned Kizilelma fighter jet it is developing could also operate from it. Although far from the might and versatility of flattops, these vessels enhance Turkey and Iran's respective capabilities to project naval power. These drone-carriers also have inherent shortcomings when compared to aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in other navies.

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Persons: —, Bryan Clark, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Shahid, Shahid Bagheri, Shahid Mahdavi, Diego Garcia, IRGC, Emin Sansar, Shaul Chorev, Chorev, Clark, Andrew, Woody, Lewis, who's, Iran's Organizations: Service, Hudson Institute, Business, TCG Anadolu, Anadolu, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp, Getty, US Navy, Maritime Policy, Research, Israeli National Center of Blue, Israeli Navy, Iranian, IRIN, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Center for, US 2nd Fleet Locations: Turkey, Iran, Ankara, Turkish, Soviet, Diego, Anadolu, Iranian Navy, Islamic Republic of Iran, US