Turkey’s first indigenous UCAV Bayraktar TB2 has successfully completed 750,000 flight hours, setting a new record in Turkish aviation history. Bayraktar TB2 UCAV System, which made many unprecedented achievements in the history of Turkish aviation, has successfully completed 750,000 flight hours.
Bayraktar TB2 UCAV thus became the indigenous aerial vehicle to spend the longest time in the Turkish skies, approaching one million hours of service.
Launched in 2014
Developed by Baykar, the manufacturer of Türkiye’s indigenous UCAV systems and recognized as the best in its class globally in terms of technical specifications and participation in operations, Bayraktar TB2 entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2014. Armed in 2015, the UAV is currently operated by the TSK, the Gendarmerie General Command, the Turkish National Police, and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT). Bayraktar TB2 UCAV has been actively involved in counter-terrorism operations at home and abroad since 2014.
Organised Aid Campaigns in 7 Countries
The Ukrainian military actively uses Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs for defensive purposes in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. People in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Norway, Spain and Canada organized fundraising campaigns in the past to buy Bayraktar TB2s and donate them to the Ukrainian armed forces. Baykar, instead of accepting the donations collected from campaigns in Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland, donated the funds raised to purchase Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs to meet the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people.
Record Rate of Domestic Industry Participation
Baykar, which has been developing the most valuable software and hardware systems in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles with its team of Turkish engineers since the early 2000s, is recognized as one of the world’s leading technology companies with engineering power in 13 different disciplines. Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, whose critical components, designs, and software are developed nationally and independently by Baykar, are produced with a record-breaking domestic industry participation rate of 93% at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul.
Record Holder
On July 16, 2019, Bayraktar TB2 UCAV set a record by flying for 27 hours and 3 minutes continuously under challenging geographical and climate conditions such as high temperature and sandstorms during a demonstration flight in Kuwait. Indigenous UCAVs continue to operate in all weather conditions, including desert heat, freezing cold, snow, and storms, from Europe to Africa. With 750 thousand flight hours, the national UCAV has made history in Turkish aviation, holding the title of the aircraft that has served Turkey successfully for the longest time.
Impacted Operation Olive Branch
Bayraktar TB2 UCAV actively participated in domestic and cross-border operations conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces, such as the ‘Trench’ operations, Operation Euphrates Shield, and Operation Olive Branch. Defense experts noted that indigenously UCAVs played a crucial role in those operations, leading to shorter-than-expected durations and fewer casualties. Bayraktar TB2 UCAV systems, especially during the Olive Branch Operation in Afrin, made its mark on the operation by conducting more than 90% of all flights, with a total of 5,300 flight hours.
Surveillance for the Blue Homeland
Participating in many operations against terrorist organizations, such as Operations Claw and Hawk, Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs continue to play a significant role in operations targeting the so-called leaders of separatist terrorist organizations. In addition to those missions, indigenous UCAVs contribute to the protection of the Blue Homeland. In this context, they provided air support for our drilling ships operating in the Eastern Mediterranean. On December 16, 2019, Bayraktar TB2 UCAV made a historic flight by taking off from the Dalaman Naval Air Base Command and landing at Geçitkale Airport in Cyprus to be stationed for operations in the TRNC.
Contribution to Earthquake Response
