Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı
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Bayraktar Akıncı (, Raider lit. "
Akinji Akinji or akindji (, ; plural: ''akıncılar'') were Turkish people, Turkish Irregular military, irregular light cavalry, scout divisions (deli) and advance troops of the Ottoman Empire's Military of the Ottoman Empire, military. When the pre-e ...
") is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE)
unmanned combat aerial vehicle An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircra ...
(UCAV) being manufactured by the Turkish defence company
Baykar Baykar is a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence. Name Baykar is a portmanteau of the words Bayraktar KardeÅŸler (''Bayraktar Brothers''). The company presently operates under the names "Bayk ...
. The first three units entered service with the
Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...
on 29 August 2021. The aircraft has a 5.5+ ton
maximum takeoff weight The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft, also known as the maximum structural takeoff weight or maximum structural takeoff mass, is the maximum weight at which the p ...
(MTOW), of which over is payload. ''Akıncı'' is equipped with two
turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
engines of either or , as well as electronic support and
ECM ECM may refer to the following: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Lenstra's Elliptic curve method for factor ...
systems, dual
satellite communication A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. ...
systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and advanced
synthetic-aperture radar Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide fine ...
.


Development

With the preliminary design phase completed in June 2019, ''Akıncı'' started engine ground run testing in August 2019 with a Ukrainian
Ivchenko-Progress Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB (, ''Zaporizhzhia Machine-Building Design Bureau "Progress" State Enterprise named after Academician O.H.Ivchenko''), formerly OKB, OKB-478 and Ivchenko Lotarev, is a state design bureau that creates drafts and plans for ai ...
AI-450C turboprop engine. First engine test was accomplished on September 1, 2019. Following the completion of other technical tests, the aircraft was moved to the
Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...
's
Çorlu Çorlu () is a municipality and district of TekirdaÄŸ Province, northwestern Turkey. Its area is 531 km2, and its population is 300,296 (2024). It is a rapidly growing industrial center built on flatland located on the motorway Otoyol 3 and ...
Airfield Command. The UCAV made its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
with automatic
taxiing Taxiing (rarely spelled taxying) is the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or pushback (aviation), pushback where the aircraft is moved by a tug. The aircraft usually moves on wheels, but the term ...
, take-off, 16-minute flight and successful landing on December 6, 2019. ''Akıncı'' has a payload capacity of internal and external, a maximum combat load of . Powered by two or turboprop engines, the drone has a
wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...
. It will be the first UAV capable of launching a
cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
. First pictures of the UAV hit media reports in June 2018 and it was unveiled to the public during the Teknofest Aviation, Space and Technology Festival in September 2019. On 22 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV has successfully conducted its first firing tests. During the test, 'Akıncı' was fitted with three different variants of the indigenously developed
smart munition A precision-guided munition (PGM), also called a smart weapon, smart munition, or smart bomb, is a type of weapon system that integrates advanced guidance and control systems, such as GPS, laser guidance, or infrared sensors, with various typ ...
s, MAM-L, MAM-C and MAM-T. The test was also the first public appearance of the Roketsan's newest smart munition, MAM-T. From July 6 to 7, the aircraft completed a test flight of 25 hours and 45 minutes, flying and reaching an altitude of . On August 29, 2021, Akıncı was added to the inventory of Turkish armed forces.


Operational history

''Akıncı'' was first used in Pençe-Kilit Operations which were held by the Turkish military to dissolve PKK positions such as shelters and caves in Northern Iraq. A total of 9 ''Akıncı''s successfully flew over 1551 hours in the earthquake zone of the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. The drones have been instrumental in providing continuous updates and data to the crisis response team for damage detection, search and rescue support, along with coordination activities. A unspecified number of ''Akıncı''s were involved in an attack on the
Wagner Group The Wagner Group (), officially known as PMC Wagner (, ), is a Russian state-funded private military company (PMC) controlled 2023 Wagner Group plane crash, until 2023 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former close ally of Russia's president Vladimir Pu ...
-operated El-Hadim Airbase, having destroyed at least one air defense system. In May 2024 one of the drones assisted in finding the crash site of a Bell 212 that had crashed, which killed the Iranian president,
Ebrahim Raisi Ebrahim Raisolsadati (14 December 1960 – 19 May 2024), better known as Ebrahim Raisi, was an Iranian politician who served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter crash in 202 ...
and Foreign Minister,
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (; 23 April 1964 – 19 May 2024) was an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran), foreign minister of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter ...
. The mission reportedly lasted 7 hours. Afterwards, the drone drew the crescent and star. On 28 January 2025, forces loyal to General
Khalifa Haftar Khalifa Haftar (; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA). In 2015, he was appointed commander of the armed forces loyal to the 2014 Libyan parliam ...
's
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; , ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii''), also known as the Libyan Arab Army (LAA; , ''al-Jaysh al-'Arabiyy al-Lībii'') or the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF; ), is a component of Libyan Armed Forces, Libya's mil ...
(LNA) shot down a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drone approximately 15 kilometers west of Ajaylat in northwestern Libya. Video evidence of the incident shows smoke in the sky, suggesting the drone was hit by an LNA-fired missile. In 16 March 2025, The People's Defense Forces (HPG, the armed wing of the PKK) shot down a Turkish Akinci-type combat drone on evening in the Qendîl region. According to local sources, a drone belonging to the Turkish state was shot down by the guerrilla. The wreckage of the drone reportedly crashed in the locality of Bingird, in the
Ranya Ranya (, ) is a town in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, and is part of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is twinned with Duluth, Minnesota. Geographical Location Ranya is located in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan Region ...
region. In 31 March 2025,
Malian Air Force The Mali Air Force (), established in 1961, serves as the primary aerial warfare branch of Mali's armed forces. The force was initially created with the assistance of the French military, which provided training and equipment to establish the air ...
Akinci UAV shot’ down by Algerian
Territorial Air Defence Forces The Territorial Air Defence Force (DAT; ,) is an armed service/branch of the Algerian People's National Army, the armed forces of Algeria. It is one of the four service branches of the Algerian Armed Forces, along with the army, navy, and air forc ...
in
Tinzawatene Tinzaouaten (var. Tinzawatene and Tin-Zaouatene; ) is a Saharan rural commune in the far northeast of Mali on the Algerian border. Geography The commune is in the Abeïbara Cercle of the Kidal Region. It included a stop on a trans-Saharan trade ...
. Türkiye’s indigenous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Bayraktar Akinci and Bayraktar TB2, took to the skies on 24 April 2025 following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Istanbul to assist in coordination efforts.


Avionics and radar

The Akıncı drone is equipped with an indigenously manufactured
active electronically scanned array An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a type of phased array antenna, which is a computer-controlled antenna array in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the a ...
(AESA) radar called MURAD, a SAR/ GMTI radar, a surveillance system, electronic warfare, and
signal intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...
suite (SIGINT), and SATCOM allowing ''Akıncı''s to become UCAV as well as ISTAR+C3 assets for the Turkish military.


Timeline

* On 6 December 2019, Bayraktar Akıncı made its maiden flight. * On 10 January 2020, first prototype made its second flight and passed over 6000 ft. * On 13 August 2020, second prototype made its maiden flights. * On 19 August 2020, second prototype conducted medium altitude system integration flight tests. * On 22 August 2020, first prototype exceeded during flight testing. * On 5 September 2020, second prototype conducted high altitude and high speed flight tests. * On 8–9 September 2020, Critical Design Review was conducted. * On 11 September 2020, second prototype conducted medium altitude system integration flight tests. * On 3 October 2020, second prototype 2 conducted asymmetric thrust tests. * On 13 March 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 2 conducted its advanced system integration flight tests. * On 27 March 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its maiden flight. * On 10 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its medium altitude system integration flight tests. * On 13 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its high altitude and high speed flight tests. * On 22 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its first firing tests. * On 19 May 2021, the first serial produced Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its maiden flight * On 7 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı set the new national
flight altitude record This listing of flight altitude records are the records set for the highest aeronautical flights conducted in the atmosphere and beyond, set since the age of ballooning. Some, but not all of the records were certified by the non-profit interna ...
of Turkey by cruising at for 25 hours and 46 minutes at a distance of 7,507 km * On 10 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted a 13 hours and 24 minute long flight with 1360 kg payload. During the flight Akıncı was equipped with the NEB
bunker buster A bunker buster is a type of munition that is designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground, such as military bunkers. Armor piercing shells Germany Röchling shells were bunker-busting artillery shells, developed ...
bomb developed by TUBITAK SAGE. Marking the heaviest bomb ever carried by an UCAV * On 29 August 2021, the first three units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces * On 24 December 2021, two units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces * On 23 January 2022, first export agreement of Bayraktar Akıncı was announced * On 13 February 2022, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its first combat mission * On 2 March 2022, second export agreement of Bayraktar Akıncı was announced * On 2 March 2022, the Baykar announced that the Bayraktar AKINCI-B version with twin engines completed its maiden flight * On 21 May 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI crossed 3 countries (Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan), flying approximately 2000 km. * On 14 June 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) has successfully completed its first firing test from 30 kilometers away with the KGK-SIHA-82 (Winged Guidance Kit) ammunition. * On 21 June 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI B Variant took off to carry out endurance, high altitude and high speed tests, The B Variant rose to an altitude of within the scope of the test, returned to Bayraktar AKINCI Flight, Training and Test Center at Çorlu Airport Command after 20 hours and 23 minutes of flight. * On 1 July 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI carried out a test firing with the LGK-82 (Laser Guidance Kit), developed by ASELSAN, Flying with an altitude of 30 thousand feet, the target was laser-marked by Bayraktar TB2 SİHA, The LGK-82 was Launched from UAV for the first time. * On 3 August 2022, three units were delivered to the Turkish Air Force * On 24 August 2022, three additional units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces, bringing the number of drones operated by Turkey to 12 * On 22 February 2024, Akıncı equipped with ASELFLIR-500 shot a mobile Albatros USV. * On 24 February 2024, Akıncı C variant successfully carried out its first flight test with two 850 HP engines. * On 1 March 2025 Akıncı equipped with MURAD Aesa radar made its first maiden flight.


Operators


Current operators

*
Turkish Land Forces The Turkish Land Forces () 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 Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the foun ...
– 8+ operational. *
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force () is the Air force, air and space force of the Turkish Armed Forces. It traces its origins to 1 June 1911 when it was founded as the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons, Aviation Squadrons by the Ottoman Empire. It was composed ...
– 6+ operational. *
National Intelligence Organization loction 39°54'25.0"N 32°39'59.3"E The National Intelligence Organization (), also known by its Turkish language, Turkish initials MIT or MİT, or colloquially as the Organization (), is an intelligence agency of the Turkish government tasked ...
(MIT) - 1 operational. *
Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
– 6-7 Akıncı UAVs delivered during the first half of 2023. *
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force () 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, with an inventory of 374 combat-capable ai ...
– At least 1 Akıncı delivered. In late May 2023, Libyan prime minister
Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh Abdul Hamid Muhammad Abdul Rahman al-Dbeibeh (, also transliterated as Dbeibah) is a Libyan politician and businessman who is the prime minister of Libya under the Government of National Unity (Libya), Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripo ...
, shared footage from a counter smuggling operations with an Akıncı. *
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 wa ...
*
Azerbaijan Air Force The Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defense Troops (stylized as ), composed of the Azerbaijani Air Forces () and the Azerbaijani Air Defense Troops (), are the air and air defense service branch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The Azerb ...
*
Burkina Faso Armed Forces The Burkina Faso Armed Forces () are the military of Burkina Faso. The service branches of the armed forces include its Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie (Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie and People's Militia (Burkina Faso), People's Milit ...
2 Akıncı-A UAVs delivered. On December 31, 2024, Baykar announced delivery of Akıncı to the UAE in its official X page without any further details.


Future operators

*
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
During the visit of the Turkish president to Indonesia in February 2025, a contract to acquire 9 Akinci drones was signed. * Kyrgyz Air Force *
Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...


Specifications


See also

* Baykar Bayraktar Mini UAV *
Baykar Bayraktar TB1 The Bayraktar UAV or Bayraktar UCAV is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles designed and manufactured by Turkey, Turkish company Baykar. The UAVs were developed for the Turkish Armed Forces from 2004 until the present. Some models are designed fo ...
*
Baykar Bayraktar TB2 Bayraktar TB2 ( Turkish: ''Standard-bearer TB2'') is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Ba ...
* Baykar Bayraktar TB3 *
Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma Baykar is a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence. Name Baykar is a portmanteau of the words Bayraktar Kardeşler (''Bayraktar Brothers''). The company presently operates under the names "Bayk ...
*
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 ...
* TAI Aksungur * TAI Anka 3 * Vestel Karayel


References

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