Baykar Turns Heads with TB2, Akinci Models

Our Bureau - : Mar 6, 2024 - : 4:13 am

A model of the TB2 combat drone that has seen its reputation soar after recent or ongoing global conflicts is on show at Turkish drone maker Baykar’s booth. The drone was extensively used by Ukraine in the early days of...

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A model of the TB2 combat drone that has seen its reputation soar after recent or ongoing global conflicts is on show at Turkish drone maker Baykar’s booth.

The drone was extensively used by Ukraine in the early days of its ongoing conflict with Russia. In 2019, Baykar and a Ukrainian state-owned defence company signed a deal for joint production of the TB2. Baykar has already started work on its factory in Ukraine. In December, the company announced that the TB2 had completed 750,000 flight hours.

The company is also promoting the Bayraktar Akinci, a high-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle that entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces in August 2021. Last month, the company announced that the combat drone, which is seen as a successor to the TB2, had successfully completed its debut flight with new and more robust engines.

According to Baykar, Akinci’s unique fuselage and wing design makes it capable of carrying various payloads. It has a maximum take-off weight of 6,000 kilograms (12,228 pounds), compared to the TB2's 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds). The Akinci’s 1,500-kilogram payload is 10 times more than that of the TB2. The Akinci can also fly higher than the TB2 at around 30,000-40,000 feet max. It uses a wide range of ammunition and missiles, including MAM–L, MAM-C, Cirit, L-UMTAS, Bozok, SOM-A, and the Mark 81/82/83 bomb series. The drone can be used in air-to-ground and air-to-air attack missions.

In April last year, Baykar and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the company’s drones in the country. The country, which had used the TB2 in a previous conflict with Armenia, has since purchased the Akinci drone. In February this year, the country opened a training facility and hangar for the Akinci.

In July last year, Baykar signed two major contracts with Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry, worth over US$ 1 billion for the sale of the Akinci drone. The deal is said to be the largest export agreement in Turkey’s defence history. The company has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to produce the drone in Saudi Arabia. According to Baykar, export agreements have been signed with 32 countries for the TB2, and 8 for Bayraktar Akinci.

Bayraktar-tb2 / Baykar / Akinci /

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