Baykar Bayraktar TB2
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The Bayraktar TB2 is a
medium-altitude long-endurance A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle flies at an altitude window of 10,000 to 30,000 feet (3,000–9,000 m) for extended durations of time, typically 24 to 48 hours.https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/products/falco-xplorer Thi ...
(MALE)
unmanned combat aerial vehicle An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, colloquially shortened as drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance ...
(UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or
autonomous flight Vehicular automation involves the use of mechatronics, artificial intelligence, and multi-agent systems to assist the operator of a vehicle (car, aircraft, watercraft, or otherwise).Hu, J.; Bhowmick, P.; Lanzon, A.,Group Coordinated Control o ...
operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., primarily for the
Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
. The aircraft are monitored and controlled by an aircrew in a ground control station, including weapons employment. The development of the UAV has been largely credited to
Selçuk Bayraktar Selçuk Bayraktar (born 7 October 1979) is a Turkish engineer and businessman. He is the chairman of the board and the chief technology officer of the Turkish technology company Baykar. He is also known as the architect of Turkey's first indi ...
, a former
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
graduate student. By November 2021, the TB2 drone had completed 400,000 flight-hours globally. The largest operator of TB2 drones is the Turkish military, but an export model has been sold to the militaries of a number of other countries. Turkey has used the drone extensively in strikes on
Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of south ...
(PKK) and
People's Protection Units The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democra ...
(YPG) targets in Iraq and Syria. Bayraktar drones were later deployed by a number of other nations around the world in various wars, such as by Azerbaijan in the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
, by the
Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, as well as by the
Ethiopian National Defense Force The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...
during the
Tigray War The Tigray War; ; . was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022. The war was primarily fought in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia between the Ethiopian federal government and Eritrea on one side, and the Tigray Peop ...
.


Development

The development of the Bayraktar TB2 had been spurred by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey due to concerns they would be used against
PKK The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of sout ...
groups inside and outside Turkey. Baykar started developing a new combat tactical aerial vehicle system at the request of the
Presidency of Defense Industries In Turkey, Defence Industry Agency ( tr, Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı (SSB)); formerly ''Presidency of Defense Industries'' and ''Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM)'' before that, is a civil institution established by the government t ...
, after the experiences of its first tactical UAV, the Bayraktar Çaldıran or
Bayraktar TB1 The Bayraktar UAV or Bayraktar UCAV is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles designed and manufactured by Turkish company Baykar. The UAVs were developed for the Turkish Armed Forces from 2004 until the present. Some models are designed for surve ...
, delivered to the Turkish army in 2011. The Bayraktar TB2 made its maiden flight in August 2014. On 18 December 2015, a video was published of a test firing of a missile from the Bayraktar TB2, a result of a collaboration with
Roketsan Roketsan Roket Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S. is a major Turkish weapons manufacturer and defense contractor based in Ankara, Turkey. Incorporated in 1988 by Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee (''SSİK'') to establish the nation's industri ...
. Roketsan's MAM and
TUBITAK-SAGE The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies ...
's BOZOK
laser-guided bomb A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly p ...
s were tested for the first time.


Components and technologies

The aircraft previously relied on imported and regulated components and technologies such as Rotax 912 engines (manufactured in Austria) and optoelectronics (
FLIR Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
sensors imported from
Wescam L3Harris Wescam, stylized as L3Harris WESCAM, is a Canadian company specializing in the production of gyroscope, gyro-stabilized, Image sensor, EO-Thermography, IR imaging systems. Wescam Inc. is a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies. The name ...
in Canada or
Hensoldt Hensoldt AG ''(HENSOLDT)'' is a multinational corporation headquartered in Germany which focuses on sensor technologies for protection and surveillance missions in the defence, security and aerospace sectors. The main product areas are radar, op ...
from Germany).
Bombardier Recreational Products BRP Inc. is the holding company for Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., operating as BRP, a Canadian manufacturer of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, side by sides, motorcycles, and personal watercraft. It was founded in 2003, when the Recr ...
, owner of
Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Produc ...
, suspended delivery of their engines to certain countries in October 2020, after becoming aware of their military use despite being certified for civil use only. According to British newspaper ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', the arming of the Bayraktar TB2 would not have been possible without the help of the UK Hornet micro-munitions
bomb rack A hardpoint is an attachment location on a structural frame designed to transfer force and carry an external or internal load. The term is usually used to refer to the mounting points (more formally known as a weapon station or station) on the ...
by
EDO MBM Technology Ltd EDO Corporation was an American company which was acquired by ITT Corporation in 2007. EDO designed and manufactured products for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets, and provided related engineering and professional services. It e ...
. The bomb rack was provided to Turkey in 2015, and a variant of it was integrated into the aircraft by EDO MBM and Roketsan. In response to ''The Guardian'' newspaper article, Baykar Chief Technical Officer Selçuk Bayraktar denied that the bomb rack came from the UK. "We are not buying it from you, we never did. It not only does not work under any circumstances but is also very expensive", Bayraktar said on Twitter. "We have designed and manufactured a more advanced and cost-effective one ourselves." On 19 August 2020 the UK
Department for International Trade The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the U ...
(DIT) disclosed details of a six-year history of exports of the Hornet bomb rack to Turkey between 2014 and 2020, suggesting that supply of the critical technology to Turkey had continued well beyond the development stage of the Bayraktar TB2 and right up to the publication of the ''Guardian'' story in November 2019. 18 Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications were submitted by EDO MBM Technology between 2014 and 2020 for exports of goods 'related to Hornet Bomb Racks / Hornet Missile Launchers' for end-users in Turkey. Of these; 16 of the licences were granted. In October 2020 the use of the Canadian
Wescam L3Harris Wescam, stylized as L3Harris WESCAM, is a Canadian company specializing in the production of gyroscope, gyro-stabilized, Image sensor, EO-Thermography, IR imaging systems. Wescam Inc. is a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies. The name ...
MX-15D system in the drone was disclosed after Armenian officials claimed that remains of a MX-15D system had been recovered from a downed TB2 drone during the nation's conflict with Azerbaijan. That triggered the stopping of MX-15D exports to Turkey while an investigation by
Global Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC; french: Affaires mondiales Canada; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department ...
evaluates the use of Canadian technology in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish industry responded to foreign sales boycotts by announcing provision of domestically manufactured alternatives including TEI PD170 engine (manufactured by TEI), fuel valves and the CATS FLIR system (manufactured by Aselsan). Integration tests with that system started on 6 November 2020. Turkish defense industry researcher Kadir Doğan tweeted that cancellation of sales of components to Baykar by foreign companies did not pose a major problem, and that as of January 2021, all of those components have been replaced by locally manufactured alternatives. However, the majority of Baykar's customers, including Ukraine, Poland, Morocco, and Kuwait, declined to purchase the Aselsan CATS electro-optical turret and opted to order the Wescam MX-15D through an authorized distributor. Reasons include a weight increase from , general performance, and compatibility with existing fleet.


Characteristics


Design

The Bayraktar TB2 platform has a
blended wing body A blended wing body (BWB), also known as blended body or hybrid wing body (HWB), is a fixed-wing aircraft having no clear dividing line between the wings and the main body of the craft. The aircraft has distinct wing and body structures, which ar ...
design with an
inverted V-tail The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...
structure. Thrust is generated by a
variable pitch Flight dynamics in aviation and spacecraft, is the study of the performance, stability, and control of vehicles flying through the air or in outer space. It is concerned with how forces acting on the vehicle determine its velocity and attitude w ...
two-blade propeller in
pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...
. The propeller is mounted between the tail booms and driven by an internal combustion engine located in the body. The
monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...
platform is modular with detachable main items such as wing, tail boom, and V-tails. Fuselage pieces are made mostly of
carbon fiber composite Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
with machined aluminum parts at joints. Fuel is stored within bladder tanks and fuel consumption is balanced with
solenoid valve A solenoid valve is an electromechanically operated valve. Solenoid valves differ in the characteristics of the electric current they use, the strength of the magnetic field they generate, the mechanism they use to regulate the fluid, and the ty ...
s. The ground control station (GCS) is based on a
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
spec shelter unit which is equipped with cross redundant command and control systems. The mobile unit supports three personnel: pilot, payload operator and mission commander. The GCS is equipped with redundant air conditioners and nuclear, biological and chemical filtration (NBC) filtering unit. All hardware inside the shelter is placed inside racked cabinets. Each operator has dual screens in front along with the operator interface software used for real-time command, control and monitoring. While the Turkish Armed Forces describes Bayraktar TB2 as "Tactical UAV Class" to prevent it from being a competitor to the
TAI Anka The TAI Anka is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries primarily for the Turkish Air Force. Envisioned in the early 2000s for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Anka has evolved into a modul ...
UAV, international standards would classify it as a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV.


Configuration

Each TB2 is configured with six aerial vehicle platforms, two ground control stations, three ground data terminals (GDT), two remote video terminals (RVT) and ground support equipment. Each aerial platform is equipped with a triply redundant avionics system. Its ground control system's cross redundant architecture allows for pilot, payload operator and mission commander to command, control and monitor the platform.


Digital flight control system

The TB2 has a triple-redundant flight control system with autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing and parking capability. The computerized
flight control system A conventional fixed-wing aircraft flight control system consists of flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkages, and the necessary operating mechanisms to control an aircraft's direction in flight. Aircraft ...
is the primary component, conducting
sensor fusion Sensor fusion is the process of combining sensor data or data derived from disparate sources such that the resulting information has less uncertainty than would be possible when these sources were used individually. For instance, one could potentia ...
algorithms with the real-time sensor data. Mission-specific controls are handled through the mission control computer system. The aerial platform is guided through various redundant rotary and linear
servo Servo may refer to: Mechanisms * Servomechanism, or servo, a device used to provide control of a desired operation through the use of feedback ** AI servo, an autofocus mode ** Electrohydraulic servo valve, an electrically operated valve that c ...
actuators. All of the main airborne avionics equipment, software and hardware are under constant development. The electronic
power supply A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage, current, and frequency to power the load. As a r ...
that powers the onboard systems is supported with triple
alternator An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Go ...
s and balanced, smart
lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
units. A ruggedized heated camera unit is placed in the tail section of the platform to monitor flight and all payload and
telemetry Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
data are recorded to the airborne data recorder. The redundancy architecture of the avionics supports autonomous emergency landings on different airfields if necessary.
Sensor fusion Sensor fusion is the process of combining sensor data or data derived from disparate sources such that the resulting information has less uncertainty than would be possible when these sources were used individually. For instance, one could potentia ...
algorithms, including an
inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (dire ...
, allow navigation and auto landing even with loss of global positioning signals.


Price

The price for a single TB2 unit has been estimated at 5 million US dollars, around one-sixth of the US-built
Reaper A reaper is a agricultural machinery, farm implement or person that wikt:reap#Verb, reaps (cuts and often also gathers) crops at harvest when they are ripe. Usually the crop involved is a cereal grass. The first documented reaping machines were ...
UAV. Baykar has not stated a price, but has republished on its website several news reports about crowdfunding campaigns launched in 2022 in Europe to buy Bayraktar UAVs for Ukraine, all of them fixing a goal of around US$5–5.5 million for the unit.


Operational history


Turkey's counterterrorism operations

The Turkish military's use of the TB2 gained prominence in counterinsurgency operations against the
Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of south ...
(PKK) and
People's Protection Units The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democra ...
(YPG) militants positions across the border in Iraq and Syria. On 30 June 2018, one Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB2 crashed due to technical problems in
Hatay Hatay Province ( tr, Hatay ili, ) is the southernmost province of Turkey. It is situated almost entirely outside Anatolia, along the eastern coast of the Levantine Sea. The province borders Syria to its south and east, the Turkish province of ...
province, Turkey. On 15 August 2018,
Turkish Land Forces The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...
successfully used Bayraktar TB2 in a joint cross-border operation of the
Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
and the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey to kill the senior (PKK) leader and board member of the
Kurdistan Communities Union The Kurdistan Communities Union ( ku, Koma Civakên Kurdistanê, italic=yes, KCK) is a Kurdish political organization committed to implementing Abdullah Öcalan's ideology of democratic confederalism. Öcalan, Abdullahbr>Declaration of Democratic ...
İsmail Özden in
Sinjar District The Sinjar District or the Shingal District (, ku, قەزای شنگال ,Qeza Şingal) is a district of the Nineveh Governorate. The district seat is the town of Sinjar. The district has two subdistricts, al-Shemal and al-Qayrawan. The district ...
, northwestern
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. Turkish military used combined UAV and artillery tactics in Syria against the PKK-linked YPG. According to Turkey the number of militant killed or wounded rose to 449 by use of armed TB2 and 680 were indirectly in operations assisted by air support from the UAV. On 16 May 2021, one Bayraktar TB2 crashed in Zebari, Northern Iraq, Kurdish militants claimed they shot down the drone.


Libya

In June 2019, international news media reported that Libya's UN-recognized
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. ...
(GNA) used Bayraktar TB2s to strike an airbase held by General Haftar's
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa ...
(LNA). Despite the UN embargo on Libya's ongoing civil war, it is suspected that at least 3 Bayraktar TB2 UCAV were being used over Tripoli by the GNA government forces. On 6 June 2019, two GNA TB2 drones are destroyed along an operation room by LNA attacks on Mitiga Airport. Video evidence showed at least one TB2 flying over Tripoli about to land at Mitiga's Military section, under control of GNA-allied forces. * On 14 May 2019, a GNA TB2 is destroyed by LNA defenses in Al -Jufra area. * On 6 June 2019, two GNA TB2s are destroyed along an operation room by LNA attacks on Mitiga Airport. * On 30 June 2019, a TB2 is destroyed by LNA defenses. * On 25 July 2019, two LNA
Ilyushin Il-76TD The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comme ...
cargo planes are destroyed on the ground in al-Jufra Air base by an attack made by TB2 drones. A GNA TB2 is shot down near al-Jufra airbase during the same attack. * On 14 December 2019, a GNA TB2 is shot down in Ain Zara, Tripoli. * On 2 January 2020, a GNA TB2 is shot down south of Mitiga Airport, Tripoli. * On 22 January 2020, a TB2 drone, T92 with GNA markings is shot down by LNA forces after taking off from Mitiga International Airport. * On 25 February 2020, the LNA shoot down a GNA TB2, providing a video of the wreck. * On 26 February 2020, the LNA shoot down another GNA TB2, providing video of the wreck. * On 31 March 2020, the LNA shot down two GNA TB2 drones near Tripoli; one in Misrata Air College and another in Al-Tawaisha. * On 5 April 2020, a GNA TB2 is shot down by LNA forces in Alwashka, Libya. * On 11 April 2020, a GNA TB2 is shot down in Tarhuna. * On 13 April 2020, a GNA TB2 serial number ''T94'' is shot down near Mitiga airport by LNA forces. * On 16 April 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down near
Tarhuna Tarhuna (; ar, ترهونة), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan town to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The city derives its name from that of its pre- Roman-era inhabitants, a Berber tribe. The city was known as al-Bo ...
. * On 17 April 2020, two GNA TB2 drones are shot down; one with tail number ''T95'' near Bani Walid and another in the South near Wadi dinar. * On 18 April 2020, a GNA TB2 is shot down by LNA forces south of Tripoli. * On 2 May 2020, a GNA TB2 is destroyed at Arada, near Mitiga Airport, downed by LNA forces. * On 12 May 2020, a GNA TB2 is shot down near Ash Shwayrif, Tripoli. * On 21 May 2020,
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa ...
's
Pantsir missile system The Pantsir (russian: Панцирь, translation="Carapace") missile system is a family of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Starting with the Pantsir-S1 (russian: Панцирь-С1, NAT ...
shot down two GNA drones; one
TAI Anka The TAI Anka is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries primarily for the Turkish Air Force. Envisioned in the early 2000s for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Anka has evolved into a modul ...
drone near
Tarhuna Tarhuna (; ar, ترهونة), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan town to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The city derives its name from that of its pre- Roman-era inhabitants, a Berber tribe. The city was known as al-Bo ...
city and one TB2 near Jebel Sherif. * On 7 June 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down by LNA forces near Sirte. * 8 June 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down by LNA forces as it attempted to bomb LNA forces in Sirte. * By 1 July 2020, at least 16 TB2 drones were reported shot down or lost on Libya during six months of fighting and 23 were reported lost since LNA offensive in Western Libya that began in April 2019.


Syria

In March 2020 Bayraktar TB2s, Anka-S UAVs, and an array of Koral electronic jammers were deployed and extensively used in coordinated action to strike Syrian Army targets on the ground during the
Operation Spring Shield Operation Spring Shield ( tr, Bahar Kalkanı Harekâtı) was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) against the Syrian Armed Forces and allied militias in the Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria, which ...
launched by Turkey following losses the Turkish forces incurred at the hands of the Russian forces in northwestern Syria at the end of February 2020. The deployment was assessed by experts to be a success and a tactical game-changer. During the week of fighting, Turkish drones took out 73 Syrian armed vehicles. Russian sources said that the Russian-backed Syrian air defences claimed the destruction of seven Bayraktar TB2 UAVs by 5 March 2020. However, there is only visual evidence for three Bayraktar drones being shot down. On 23 August 2020, another Bayraktar TB2 drone was shot down by Syrian Air Defenses near
Kafr Nabl Kafr Nabl ( ar, كَفْرنَبِل, Kafr Nabil, also spelled Kafranbel or Kafr Nabil) is a town administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate and Ma'arrat al-Numan District in northwestern Syria. It is situated above sea level. In the 2 ...
, Idlib after being detected spotting targets for Syrian rebels. On 22 October 2021, Turkey launched a surprise attack using Bayraktar TB2s on the Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, destroying several vehicles and killing a passenger of a car, a suspected member of a Kurdish rebel group. In 2022, Turkish drone strikes killed 50 fighters and 10 civilians.


Azerbaijan and 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

In June 2020, the Defence Minister of Azerbaijan,
Zakir Hasanov Zakir Asker oghlu Hasanov (; born 6 June 1959) is an Azerbaijani politician and colonel general who has been the Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan since 2013. Early life and education He was born on 6 June 1959 in the Astara District. He gradu ...
, announced that Azerbaijan had decided to purchase Bayraktar drones from Turkey. During the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
, Bayraktar TB2s were used against
Armed Forces of Armenia The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...
with great success. Azerbaijan used TB2s to destroy Armenian artillery, infantry positions and military vehicles, including
BM-30 Smerch The BM-30 ''Smerch'' ( rus, Смерч, "tornado", "whirlwind"), 9K58 Smerch or 9A52-2 Smerch-M is a heavy self-propelled 300 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system is intended to defeat personnel, armore ...
MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...
,
T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks ha ...
tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
,
BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (russian: link=no, Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting ve ...
and
BMP-2 The BMP-2 (''Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty'', , literally "combat machine/vehicle (of the) infantry") is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s. Development hist ...
IFVs. Nine Osa and
Strela-10 The 9K35 ''Strela-10'' (russian: 9К35 «Стрела-10»; en, arrow) is a Soviet highly mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system. It is visually aimed, and utilizes optical/ infrared-guidance. The system is primarily intended to engag ...
air defense systems were also destroyed by Azerbaijani drones, likely TB2s. On 19 October 2020, a Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defenses of the Armenian Army over
Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked country, landlocked region in the Transcaucasia, South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik, and covering the southeastern range o ...
. On 8 November 2020, another Azerbaijani Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defense, in southeastern Nagorno-Karabakh.


Ukraine and 2022 Russian invasion

As a part of its military modernization program the
Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
purchased 12 Bayraktar TB2s in 2019. In January 2019, Baykar signed an agreement with Ukrspetsproject, part of
Ukroboronprom , type = State-owned enterprise , location = , industry = Conglomerate: Defense industry , predecessor = , founded = , founder = , hq_location_city = Kyiv , hq_location_country = Ukraine , num_locations = , num_locations_year = , ...
, on the purchase of six TB2 and 3 ground control stations worth US$69 million for the Ukrainian army. Ukraine received the first batch of the UAVs in March 2019. After successful testing of the aircraft, the
Ukrainian Navy The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...
placed a separate order for six TB2s, to be delivered in 2021, according to navy officials. Meanwhile, Turkish and Ukrainian officials announced the establishment of a joint venture to produce 48 additional Bayraktar TB2s in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. The first batch of the Bayraktar TB2 complex was delivered to the Navy in July 2021. During a Russian military buildup in Crimea and near Ukraine's borders, a TB2 conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Donbas region on 9 April 2021. This was the first operational use of the aircraft by Ukrainian forces within an active conflict zone. In October 2021, a TB2 drone was used for the first time in combat during the war, targeting a Russian separatist artillery position, destroying a D-30 howitzer, and halting the bombardment of Ukrainian troops near Hranitne. During the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, TB2 drones have been used by Ukraine's armed forces against Russian forces and equipment. In January prior to the invasion, the spokesperson for the air force command Lt. Col. Yuri Ihnat confirmed that "Ukraine has approximately 20 Bayraktar drones, but we will not stop there". On 2 March, Ukrainian defense minister
Oleksii Reznikov Oleksii Yuriyovych Reznikov (; born 18 June 1966) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician who has served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine since 4 November 2021. Reznikov previously has served in several other positions in the government of ...
announced the arrival of additional TB2 drones. According to video footage released by the armed forces, TB2 drones have successfully destroyed on different occasions a Russian command post, military vehicles including
tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
,
IFV An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed For ...
s, different types of trucks,
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
systems (including Buk and
Tor Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to: Places * Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain * Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city * Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano * Tor Bay, Devon, England * Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia Sc ...
),
self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled ...
,
multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volle ...
(MLRS),
howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
s and an electronic warfare system. The drone also reportedly destroyed two Russian fuel trains,
patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
s and
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
. On 24 February, the day of invasion, the People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic claimed it shot down two TB2 drones near the city of Luhansk. On 27 February, Ukraine's air force confirmed two strikes by TB2 on Russian convoys in the
Kherson Kherson (, ) is a port city of Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers appr ...
and
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, a ...
regions. The chief of Ukraine's air force Lieutenant General
Mykola Oleschuk Mykola Mykolayovych Oleschuk ( uk, Микола Миколайович Олещук; born 25 May 1972) is a Ukrainian three-star general who has served as the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force since 9 August 2021. Biography He was born ...
called the UAV system "life-giving". The popularity of the drone in Ukraine led to a song, "
Bayraktar Bayraktar may refer to: *Bayraktar (surname) *Bayraktar, Bayburt, a village in Turkey * Bayraktar UAV, a brand of Turkish drone **Bayraktar (song), Ukraine, 2022, about the UAV in the Russian invasion * ''Bayraktar''-class tank landing ship, Turk ...
" being written about the drone while throwing insults at the Russian army and the invasion. Ukrainian drones appear to be equipped with anti-jamming antenna. They appear to use MAM-C glide bombs and MAM-L. Traditional search radars appear to struggle against the TB2 because of its slow speed and size, which give it a low radar cross section. One radar that was destroyed on 7 May appeared to be actively scanning just prior to being supposedly hit. Although this may be helped by reports of Russian units turning off their own radars to reduce their own detection. It also can be deployed within minutes and launched from a normal road. On 26 February 2022, two TB2 drones were claimed shot down near Schastia. On 17 March 2022, a Bayraktar TB2 was shot down over Kyiv; Russia published images of the drone wreckage. A second TB2 drone was shot down on 29 March 2022, in eastern Ukraine On 2 April a third TB-2 drone was shot down. On 12 April 2022, one Bayraktar TB2 was claimed to be shot down by off the coast of
Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
. On 13 April 2022, Ukrainian sources claimed at least two
R-360 Neptune R-360 Neptune ( uk, Р-360 «Нептун», translit=R-360 "Neptun") is a Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missile developed by the Luch Design Bureau. Neptune's design is based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile, with substantially improved ran ...
missiles were responsible for the sinking of the Russian cruiser ''Moskva'' – causing an explosion on one of the ship's exposed deckside missile tubes. Drones, likely TB2s, were alleged to have helped decoy the cruiser's defences. On 26 and 27 April, three additional TB2 drones were destroyed, two in Kursk Oblast and the third in
Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast (russian: Белгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Belgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population: History At the turn of the 17th cent ...
, Russia by a Pantsir-S1. On 1 May, a TB2 drone with registration ''S51T'' was shot down in Kursk region, Russia. TB2 losses amounted to seven units confirmed visually. On 2 May, Bayraktar drones operated by Ukraine attacked and destroyed two Russian
Raptor-class patrol boat The Raptor-class patrol boat, formally identified as Project 03160, is a series of Russian high-speed coastal patrol boats. Boats of the class belong to the 4th rank ships in the Russian Navy. This project was developed by the design bureau of JS ...
s near Snake Island. On 7 May, a TB2 drone attacked and destroyed a Russian
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...
transport helicopter as it was unloading passengers on Snake Island. In the same deployment, a TB2 drone destroyed a Tor missile launcher on the island, while a second launcher was destroyed as it was being unloaded from a landing craft. This cleared the way for a bombing run by Ukrainian Air Force
Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...
'Flanker' aircraft against buildings on the island. On 23 May 2022, the remains of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2, tail number ''75'' were found in Romanian territorial waters by Romanian authorities. The drone was likely shot down during the Snake Island attacks made by Ukraine in May 2022. On 28 May 2022 Lithuanian citizens fundraised $3.2 million, out of the $5.37 million, to buy a single Bayraktar TB2 drone for Ukraine. On 2 June, Baykar said: "The people of Lithuania have honorably raised funds to buy a Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine. Upon learning this, Baykar will gift a Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania free of charge and asks those funds go to Ukraine for humanitarian aid." From the beginning of the invasion to late June, Ukraine received over 50 TB2s. On 28 June, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced that Baykar would be devoting all of its capacities to meet the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces, fulfilling its requirement for "dozens more" of the aircraft. Although at the start of the invasion Ukrainian drones, including the TB2, were able to be used to harass Russian forces, by summer 2022 they had become less effective in this role. The disorganized Russians were initially slow to set up proper air defenses, but once they did Ukrainian UAVs were downed with increasing frequency. In addition to being shot down, electronic warfare is used to jam and disrupt communication links. This may have caused the Ukrainians to scale back TB2 use. On 25 July, a military expert said to the BBC, that the slow speed and medium altitudes of Bayraktar drones made them easy targets for Russian air defenses, and that many were shot down. In July 2022 Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, stated in an interview that his company would never supply Russia with its drones as he supports Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. By late July a TB2 with tail number ''U139'' was reported shot down in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. On 2 August another drone with call sign ''409'' was shot down in Ukraine. On 2 September 2022, the remains of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drone were discovered in Kherson. Bayraktar TB2 losses reached 14 units, confirmed visually.


Ethiopia and Tigray

Ethiopian forces have reportedly been using the TB2 against the
TPLF The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF; ti, ህዝባዊ ወያነ ሓርነት ትግራይ, lit=Popular Struggle for the Freedom of Tigray), also called the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, is a left-wing ethnic nationalist paramilitar ...
in the
Tigray War The Tigray War; ; . was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022. The war was primarily fought in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia between the Ethiopian federal government and Eritrea on one side, and the Tigray Peop ...
. Satellite images have shown TB2 drones in Harar Meda airbase, and debris of MAM-L guided munition have been found in Tigray. On 7 January 2022, a drone strike killed nearly 60 civilians and injured dozens more in a camp of internally displaced people in Dedebit in Tigray; the missile used was a MAM-L exclusively used with the TB2 drone.


African insurgencies

Some parts of Africa face attacks by highly mobile bands of Islamist militants, moving through scrubby terrain by motorbike to attack isolated military and civilian targets. This had largely been in the
Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
, but by 2019 had been spreading. Drones provide countries with aerial surveillance capacity to seek and potentially attack insurgents. Buying from Turkey reduces the dependence of Niger and Togo on former colonial power France.


Variants


Bayraktar TB2S

In October 2020, Baykar CTO
Selçuk Bayraktar Selçuk Bayraktar (born 7 October 1979) is a Turkish engineer and businessman. He is the chairman of the board and the chief technology officer of the Turkish technology company Baykar. He is also known as the architect of Turkey's first indi ...
showed the new, improved version of TB2, named TB2S. In Selçuk Bayraktar's
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
post, the TB2S has a protrusion on its body and an antenna on its nose for satellite communication ( SATCOM). In the basic model of TB2, communication between the aircraft and the control station was via ground-based antenna. Communication via the TÜRKSAT
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
provides a much bigger control range than the 150–300 km range of the basic model. The satellite communication will also make the TB2S more resistant to the jamming of communication by the enemy. The SATCOM-integrated TB2S made its maiden flight on 4 December 2020.


Operators


Current operators

* 014ref name=":4">
**
Turkish Land Forces The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...
– 200+ operational **
Turkish Naval Forces The Turkish Naval Forces ( tr, ), or Turkish Navy ( tr, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was establis ...
– 10 TB2s **
Gendarmerie General Command The Gendarmerie General Command ( tr, Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı) is the national Gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in a ...
– 18 units used by Elazig Gendarmerie UAV command ** Coast Guard Command – 6 TB2s ** General Directorate of Security (Police) – Under Aviation Department. 6 TB-2s entered the inventory in 2019, another 3 TB2s entered in 2020 and 3 more in 2022. ** Turkish National Intelligence Organization *
019 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
ref name=":4" /> ** Reconnaissance and Surveillance Center – 6 operational. *
019 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
ref name=":4" /> **
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
*
019 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
ref name=":4" /> **
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
– 6 operational and 48 more have been ordered (as of 2020). (It is unknown how many systems are still in operation.) **
Ukrainian Navy The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...
– 6 have been ordered, the first drone arrived in July 2021.Ukrainian military gets first Turkish Bayraktar UAV complex
Ukrinform The National News Agency of Ukraine ( uk, Українське національне інформаційне агентство), or Ukrinform ( uk, Укрінформ), is a state information and news agency, and international broadcaster of ...
(15 July 2021)
Four more are intended to be purchased by the end of 2022. (It is unknown how many systems are still in operation.) * 020ref name=":4" /> **
Azerbaijani Air Force Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defence often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force ( az, Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The roots of the current organisat ...
had confirmed its use. * 021ref name=":4" /> **
Turkmen Air Force The Turkmen Air Force ( tk, Türkmen Howa Güýçleri) is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. It was formed from former Soviet Air Forces units within that region of the Turkestan Military District. The Turkmen Air Force in ...
* 021ref name=":4" /> **
Moroccan Air Force The Royal Moroccan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الملكية; ber, Adwas ujenna ageldan; french: Forces Royales Air) is the air force of the Moroccan Armed Forces. History The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the ...
– 19 drones have been ordered. Received first TB2 on 21 September 2021. * 021ref name=":4" /> **
Ethiopian Air Force The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) () is the air service branch of the Ethiopian National Defence Force. The ETAF is tasked with protecting the national air space, providing support to ground forces, as well as assisting civil operations during nati ...
– 4 ordered in August 2021, delivered in November 2021. * 021ref name=":4" /> ** State Border Guard Service – Ordered 3 units. Deliveries started. * 021'' **
Somali Air Force "Lean Together" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , equipment_l ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> **
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
– Unknown number in service. Evaluated in mid 2021, with operations starting in early 2022. * 022ref name=":4" /> **
Djibouti Air Force The Djiboutian Air Force (DAF) (french: Forces Aériennes Djiboutiennes (FADD)), ( so, Ciidanka Cirka Jabuuti) is the Air Force of Djibouti. It was established as part of the Djibouti Armed Forces after the country obtained its independence on Ju ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> **
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> **
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> **
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> **
Niger Air Force The Niger Armed Forces (french: Forces armées nigériennes) (FAN) includes military armed force service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches ( National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) an ...
– 6 units delivered as of May 2022. * 022ref name=":4" /> **
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
* 022ref name=":4" /> ** Polish Air Force – 24 drones were ordered in 2021, making
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
the first
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and EU country to buy the drones. The first batch of aircraft has delivered in 2022. * 022'' **
Malian Air Force The Mali Air Force is the air force of Mali. History The Mali Air Force (french: Armée de l'air du Mali) was founded in 1961 with French-supplied military aid. This included MH.1521 Broussard utility monoplane followed by two C-47 transports ...
– at least three delivered.


Future operators

* nknownref name=":4" /> **
Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
– The Romanian Ministry of National Defence requested the purchase approval of 3 Bayraktar TB2 systems consisting of 6 drones each (18 in total). The purchased drones are intended to serve with the Land Forces. The total cost is estimated to be around $300 million including the support package. * **
Iraqi Armed Forces The Iraqi Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة العراقية romanized: ''Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Iraqiyyah'') ( Kurdish: هێزە چەکدارەکانی عێراق) are the military forces of the Republic of Iraq. They consist ...
– In an Iraqi TV broadcast, the Iraqi defense minister announced that Iraq will soon acquire TB2 drones and T129 ATAK helicopters. 8 drones have been ordered. * ** Albanian Armed Forces – In December 2022, Baykar's CEO,
Haluk Bayraktar Haluk Bayraktar (born 4 October 1978) is a Turkish engineer and executive. He is the CEO of Baykar, TUBITAK Board Member and founder and chairman of the board of Turkey Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) anSAHA Istanbul He is a pione ...
, signed a contract with the Albanian prime minister,
Edi Rama Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama, 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, painter, writer, former university lecturer, publicist and former basketball player, who has served as the 33rd and current Prime Minister of Albania since 2013 and chair ...
, to deliver 3 Bayraktar TB2s to the armed forces of Albania in the first stage with options to expand the fleet in future.


Specifications (TB2)

Specifications for the Bayraktar TB2 (not TB2S) from Baykar Defence.


General characteristics

* Crew: 0 on board, 3 per
ground control station UAV ground control station (GCS) is a land- or sea-based control centre that provides the facilities for human control of ''Unmanned Aerial Vehicles'' (UAVs or "drones"). It may also refer to a system for controlling rockets within or above the ...
* Length: * Wing span: * Max. take-off mass: * Payload: * Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912-iS internal combustion engine with injection * Propeller: 2-bladed
variable-pitch In marine propulsion, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. Reversible propellers—those where the pitch can be set to negative values—can also ...
* Fuel capacity: * Fuel type: gasoline (petrol)


Performance

* Maximum speed: * Cruise speed: *
Range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
: up to * Communication range:
line-of-sight propagation Line-of-sight propagation is a characteristic of electromagnetic radiation or acoustic wave propagation which means waves travel in a direct path from the source to the receiver. Electromagnetic transmission includes light emissions travelin ...
, < * Service ceiling: * Operational altitude: * Endurance: 27 hours


Armaments

* Hardpoints: four hardpoints with provisions to carry combinations of: ** MAM: MAM-C and MAM-L
laser-guided Laser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key ide ...
smart bomb Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * ''SMart'', a children's television ser ...
s ** L-UMTAS (Long Range Anti tank Missile System) **
Roketsan Cirit Cirit is a laser-guided 70 mm missile system under production by Turkish arms industry manufacturer ROKETSAN. It is one of the projects launched by Turkey to equip the Turkish Army's T-129 Atak, AH-1P Cobra and AH-1W Super Cobra attack h ...
(70 mm Missile System) **
TUBITAK-SAGE The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies ...
BOZOK Laser Guided Rockets **
TUBITAK-SAGE The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies ...
TOGAN quad rack of
GPS/INS GPS/INS is the use of GPS satellite signals to correct or calibrate a solution from an inertial navigation system (INS). The method is applicable for any GNSS/INS system. Overview GPS/INS method The GPS gives an absolute drift-free position v ...
guided
81 mm mortar An 81 mm mortar is a medium-weight mortar. It is a smooth-bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zone of ...
s **
Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System The AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third ...
– 70mm laser-guided rocket (proposed)


Avionics

* Interchangeable EO/IR/LD imaging and targeting sensor systems or Multi Mode AESA Radar: ** Aselsan CATS EO/IR/LD imaging and targeting sensor (Option 1) **
Hensoldt Hensoldt AG ''(HENSOLDT)'' is a multinational corporation headquartered in Germany which focuses on sensor technologies for protection and surveillance missions in the defence, security and aerospace sectors. The main product areas are radar, op ...
ARGOS-II HDT (Option 2) **
Wescam L3Harris Wescam, stylized as L3Harris WESCAM, is a Canadian company specializing in the production of gyroscope, gyro-stabilized, Image sensor, EO-Thermography, IR imaging systems. Wescam Inc. is a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies. The name ...
MX-15D EO/IR/LD imaging and targeting sensor (Option 3, all production until October 2020) *
Garmin Garmin Ltd. (shortened to Garmin, stylized as GARMIN, and formerly known as ProNav) is an American, Swiss-domiciled multinational technology company founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao in Lenexa, Kansas, United States, with headquart ...
GNC 255A navigation/communication transceiver


See also


References


External links


Turkey breaks national record for longest drone flight

Baykar Aerospace Industries
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717163926/http://baykarmakina.com/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Bayraktar_TB2_brosur , date=17 July 2014
Baykar Research Activities Documentary Video

Bayraktar Block B Technical Brochure

Bayraktar Block B Preliminary Design Review Documentary
/ May 2012
Bayraktar Block B Maiden Flight
/ 29 April 2014
Bayraktar Block B Endurance Record Flight
/ 5–6 August 2014
Bayraktar Block B Altitude Record Flight
/ 14 June 2014 2010s Turkish military aircraft International unmanned aerial vehicles Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles Unmanned aerial vehicles of Turkey Unmanned military aircraft of Turkey