Bayraktar TB2 played a fundamental role in Turkey's development of a new military tactic and initiated a wave of change in modern military doctrines. It was accepted as the initiator of a new method of war by many military analysts and strategists,[19][20][21][22][23] including the political scientistFrancis Fukuyama.[24]
Development
Bayraktar TB2 technical specifications in Turkish
The development of the Bayraktar TB2 was spurred by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey due to concerns that they would be used againstPKK groups inside and outside Turkey.[13]
Baykar started developing a new combat tactical aerial vehicle system at the request of thePresidency of Defense Industries, after the experiences of its first tactical UAV, the Bayraktar Çaldıran orBayraktar TB1, delivered to the Turkish army in 2011.[25] The Bayraktar TB2 made its maiden flight in August 2014.[26] On 18 December 2015, a video was published of a test firing of a missile from the Bayraktar TB2, a result of a collaboration withRoketsan. Roketsan'sMAM andTUBITAK-SAGE's BOZOKlaser-guided bombs were tested for the first time.[27][28][21]
Components and technologies
The aircraft previously relied on imported and regulated components and technologies such asRotax 912 engines[29] (manufactured in Austria) and optoelectronics (FLIR sensors imported fromWescam in Canada orHensoldt from Germany).Bombardier Recreational Products, owner ofRotax, 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.[29][30]
According to the British newspaperThe Guardian, the arming of the Bayraktar TB2 would not have been possible without the help of the UK Hornet micro-munitionsbomb rack byEDO MBM Technology Ltd. The bomb rack was provided to Turkey in 2015, and a variant of it was integrated into the aircraft by EDO MBM and Roketsan.[31] In response toThe 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."[32]
On 19 August 2020 the UKDepartment for International Trade (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 theGuardian 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.[33]
In October 2020, the drone's use of the CanadianWescam MX-15D system 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 byGlobal Affairs Canada evaluates the use of Canadian technology in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.[34][35][36] Turkish industry responded to foreign sales boycotts by announcing provision of domestically manufactured alternatives, including theTEI-PD170 engine (manufactured byTEI),[37][38] fuel valves, and the CATS FLIR system (manufactured byAselsan).[39] Integration tests with that system started on 6 November 2020.[40] 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.[41]
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.[42] Reasons include a weight increase from 45 to 61 kg (99 to 134 lb), general performance, and compatibility with existing fleets.[42]
The Bayraktar TB2 platform has ablended wing body design with aninverted V-tail structure. Thrust is generated by avariable pitch two-blade propeller inpusher configuration. The propeller is mounted between the tail booms and driven by an internal combustion engine located in the body. Themonocoque platform is modular with detachable main items such as wing, tail boom, and V-tails. Fuselage pieces are made mostly ofcarbon fiber composite with machined aluminum parts at joints. Fuel is stored withinbladder tanks and fuel consumption is balanced withsolenoid valves.
The ground control station (GCS) is based on aNATO-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 units. 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.[43]
While the Turkish Armed Forces describe Bayraktar TB2 as "Tactical UAV Class" to prevent it from being a competitor to theTAI Anka UAV, international standards would classify it as amedium-altitude long-endurance UAV.[44][45]
Configuration
Bayraktar TB2 Ground Control Station SystemBayraktar ground control station on a mobile platform
Each TB2 is configured with six aerial vehicle platforms,[clarification needed] two ground control stations, three ground data terminals (GDT), two remote video terminals (RVT), and ground support equipment.[citation needed] 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.[46]
Digital flight control system
The TB2 has atriple-redundant flight control system with autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, and parking capability. The computerizedflight control system is the primary component, programmed withsensor fusion algorithms that act on real-time sensor data. Mission-specific controls are handled through the mission-control computer system. The aerial platform is guided using various redundant rotary and linearservo actuators. All of the main airborne avionics equipment, software, and hardware are under constant development.[47]
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.[48][49]
That is around one-sixth of the price for the US-builtReaper UAV, albeit with the TB2 capable of carrying only one-tenth the payload of the Reaper.[50]
On 30 June 2018, one Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB2 crashed due to technical problems inHatay province, Turkey.[51][52]
In early 2018, the Turkish military combined UAV and artillery tactics in Syria against the YPG. According to Turkey the use of armed responsible for 449 terrorists being killed or wounded, and TB2s, in combined operations, assisted in the neutralization of 680 more.[10]
On 16 May 2021, one Bayraktar TB2 crashed in Zebari, northern Iraq; Kurdish militants claimed to have shot down the drone.[54]
A total of 37 Turkish Bayraktar TB2s successfully flew over 1551 hours in the earthquake zone of the2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. The drones have been instrumental in providing continuous updates and data to the crisis-response team for damage detection and search-and-rescue support, along with coordination activities.[55]
On 20 June 2023, a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone crashed in Qandil, northern lraq. The wreck fell in an area under Kurdish militia control.[56]
In March 2020 Bayraktar TB2s,Anka-S UAVs, and an array ofKoralelectronic jammers were deployed and extensively used in coordinated action to strike Syrian army targets on the ground duringOperation Spring Shield, launched by Turkey followinglosses the Turkish forces incurred at the hands of theRussian forces in northwestern Syria at the end of February 2020.[57][58][59]In this operation, in which Turkish forces used TB-2s in large numbers, they virtually "blinded" enemy radars and neutralized Syrian air defense systems such asPantsir andBuk.[23][20][60][61] As a result, the attacks of the Assad regime forces, supported by Russia and Iran, on Idlib were forced to stop.[62][21] The deployment was assessed by experts to be a success and a tactical game-changer.[63][64][65]
During the week of fighting, Turkish drones took out 73 Syrian armed vehicles with 405 Syrians troops including 30 high ranking officers.[66]The OSINTOryx Blog, in its research according to open sources, found 37 tanks of theT-55,T-62 andT-72 models, 9BMP-1 armored combat vehicles, 162S1 Gvozdika howitzers, 1122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) gun, 3M-46 guns, 1152-mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) gun, 62S3 Akatsiya howitzers, 8BM-21 GradMLRS, 1 122mm HM-20MLRS, 2 x 122mm MRLMLRS, 2 160mm M160 mortars, 1 240mm M240 mortar, 4ZSU-23-4 armored anti-aircraft vehicles, 2ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, 1S-75 Dvina surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile system, 2Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air anti-aircraft and artillery systems, 1 SNR-125 air defense radar and 21 different types of trucks were destroyed in theTSKdrone attack.[67]The New Lines Institute reported that it received information from sources close to the American government, and that as a result of the Turkish Armed Forces' attack, the Syrian Army lost 3 warplanes, 3 UAVs, 8 helicopters, 135 tanks, 86 artillery and MLRS, 77 armored vehicles, 9 ammunition depots, 5 air defense systems, and 16 anti-tank and mortar positions. It was also stated that an average of 60 regime soldiers were thought to have been killed per day between February 27 and March 5.[68] There is only visual evidence for three Bayraktar drones being shot down.[69][70][71][72]
On 23 August 2020, another Bayraktar TB2 drone was shot down by Syrian air defenses nearKafr Nabl, Idlib, after being detected spotting targets for Syrian rebels.[73][74]
On 22 October 2021, Turkey struck the Syrian town ofAyn al-Arab using Bayraktar TB2s, destroying several vehicles and killing a passenger of a car, a suspected member of a Kurdish rebel group.[75]
In 2022, Turkish drone strikes, including Bayraktar drones, killed 50 SDF fighters and 10 civilians.[76]
Libya
In June 2019, international news media reported that Libya's UN-recognized[77]Government of National Accord (GNA) used Bayraktar TB2s to strike an airbase held by General Haftar'sLibyan National Army (LNA). Despite the UN embargo onLibya's ongoing civil war, it is suspected that at least 3 Bayraktar TB2s were being used over Tripoli by the government forces. Video evidence, as early as 11 June 2019, showed at least one TB2 flying over Tripoli[78] about to land atMitiga International Airport's military section, under control of GNA-allied forces. Turkish supplied TB-2s were succesfull againstPantsir air defense systems in Libya and destroyed 9 units.[79][80]
On 14 May 2019, a GNA TB2 was destroyed by LNA defenses in Al-Jufra area.[81][82][83]
On 6 June 2019, two GNA TB2s were destroyed by LNA attacks on Mitiga Airport.[84][85]
On 30 June 2019, a TB2 was destroyed by LNA defenses.[86][84]
On 25 July 2019, two LNAIlyushin Il-76TD cargo planes were destroyed on the ground in Al-Jufra Air base by an attack by TB2 drones.[87] A GNA TB2 was shot down near al-Jufra airbase during the same attack.[88]
On 14 December 2019, a GNA TB2 was shot down in Ain Zara, Tripoli.[89][90]
On 2 January 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down south of Mitiga Airport.[91][90]
On 22 January 2020, a TB2 drone, serial numberT92, with GNA markings, was shot down by LNA forces after taking off from Mitiga Airport.[92][90]
On 25 February 2020, the LNA shot down a GNA TB2, providing a video of the wreck.[93][94]
On 26 February 2020, the LNA shot down another GNA TB2, later providing video of the wreck.[94][95][96]
On 28 February 2020, the LNA shot down two GNA TB2, near Tripoli, providing images of both wrecks.[97]
On 31 March 2020, the LNA shot down two GNA TB2 drones near Tripoli;[98] one at Misrata Air College and another in Al-Tawaisha.[99]
On 11 April 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down in Tarhuna.[100][90]
On 13 April 2020, a GNA TB2, serial numberT94, was shot down near Mitiga Airport by LNA forces.[101]
On 17 April 2020, two GNA TB2 drones were shot down, one with serial numberT95, nearBani Walid[102][103] and another in Misratah.[104][105]
On 18 April 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down by LNA forces south of Tripoli.[106][107]
On 2 May 2020, a GNA TB2 was destroyed at Arada, near Mitiga Airport, downed by LNA forces.[108][90]
On 12 May 2020, a GNA TB2 was shot down near Ash Shwayrif, Tripoli.[109][90]
On 7 June 2020, two GNA TB2 drones were shot down by LNA forces near Sirte.[112][90]
By 1 July 2020, at least 16 TB2 drones were reported shot down or lost in Libya during six months of fighting[113] and 23 were reported lost since LNA offensive in Western Libya that began in April 2019.[98]
In June 2020, the Defence Minister of Azerbaijan,Zakir Hasanov, announced that Azerbaijan had decided to purchase Bayraktar drones from Turkey.[114] During the2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Bayraktar TB2s were used against theArmed Forces of Armenia with great success.[115] Azerbaijan used TB2s to destroy Armenian artillery, infantry positions, and military vehicles, includingBM-30 SmerchMLRS,T-72tanks, andBMP-1 andBMP-2IFVs.[116][117] NineOsa andStrela-10 air defense systems were also destroyed by Azerbaijani drones, likely TB2s.[116]On 19 October 2020, a Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defenses of the Armenian army overNagorno-Karabakh.[118][119] On 8 November 2020, another Azerbaijani Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defense, in southeastern Nagorno-Karabakh.[120]
Ukraine
A Bayraktar TB2 of theUkrainian Air Force armed withMAM-L; two ground control stations are in the background
As part of its military modernization program, theArmed Forces of Ukraine purchased 12 Bayraktar TB2s in 2019.[121][122] In January 2019, Baykar signed an agreement with Ukrspetsproject, part ofUkroboronprom, for the purchase of six TB2s and 3 ground control stations worth US$69 million for the Ukrainian army.[123][124] Ukraine received the first batch of the UAVs in March 2019.[125] After successful testing of the aircraft, theUkrainian Navy placed a separate order for six TB2s, to be delivered in 2021, according to navy officials.[126] Meanwhile, Turkish and Ukrainian officials announced the establishment of a joint venture to produce 48 additional Bayraktar TB2s inUkraine.[127] The first batch of the Bayraktar TB2 complex was delivered to the navy in July 2021.[128]
During aRussian military buildup in Crimea and near Ukraine's borders, a TB2 conducted a reconnaissance flight over theDonbas region on 9 April 2021. This was the first operational use of the aircraft by Ukrainian forces within anactive conflict zone.[129][130] In October 2021, a TB2 drone was used for the first time in combat during the war, targeting aRussian separatist artillery position, destroying aD-30 howitzer, and halting the bombardment of Ukrainian troops nearHranitne.[131]
2022 Russian invasion
During the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, TB2 drones were used by Ukraine's armed forces against Russian forces and equipment.[132] In January, prior to the invasion, the spokesperson for the air force command, Lt. Col. Yuri Ihnat, stated that "Ukraine has approximately 20 Bayraktar drones, but we will not stop there".[133] On 2 March, Ukrainian defense ministerOleksii Reznikov announced the arrival of additional TB2 drones.[134]
On 24 February, the day of invasion, four Bayraktar TB2 drones stationed atChuhuiv Air base were abandoned and later destroyed on the ground by Ukrainian Forces, amid reported Russian rocket attacks.[142] ThePeople's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic claimed it shot down two TB2 drones near the city of Luhansk.[143] On 27 February, Ukraine's air force confirmed two strikes by TB2s on Russian convoys in theKherson andZhytomyr regions.[135]
The chief of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant GeneralMykola Oleschuk, called the UAV system "life-giving".[144] The popularity of the drone in Ukraine led to a song, "Bayraktar", which praised the drone while also insulting the Russian army and its invasion.[145][146][147]
Ukrainian drones appear to be equipped with anti-jamming antennas. They appear to useMAM-C and MAM-L laser-guided bombs. 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 supposedly being hit, although Russian units reportedly turn off their own radars to reduce the radar being detected and targeted. The drone can also be deployed within minutes and launched from a normal road.[148]
On 26 February 2022, two TB2 drones were claimed shot down nearShchastia.[149] On 17 March 2022, a Bayraktar TB2 was shot down over Kyiv; Russia published images of the drone wreckage.[150] A second TB2 drone was shot down on 29 March 2022, in eastern Ukraine.[151][152] On 2 April a third TB-2 drone was shot down.[153][154]
On 13 April 2022, Ukrainian sources claimed at least twoR-360 Neptune missiles were responsible for the sinking of theRussian cruiserMoskva – 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.[157][158]
On 7 May, a TB2 drone attacked and destroyed a RussianMil Mi-8 transport helicopter as it was unloading passengers on Snake Island.[141] In the same deployment, a TB2 drone destroyed aTor 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 a Ukrainian Air ForceSukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' aircraft against buildings on the island.[138]
On 23 May 2022, the remains of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2, tail number75, were found in Romanian territorial waters by Romanian authorities. The drone was likely shot down during the Snake Island attacks of 7 May.[164][165]
On 28 May 2022 Lithuanian citizens fundraised $3.2 million, out of the $5.37 million unit cost, to buy a single Bayraktar TB2 drone for Ukraine.[166] 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 give a Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania free of charge and asks those funds go to Ukraine for humanitarian aid."[167]
From the beginning of the invasion to late June, Ukraine received over 50 TB2s. On 28 June, Defence Minister 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.[168]
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.[169]
Further use and vulnerability
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.[170] On 25 July, a military expert told 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.[171]
In late July 2022, a TB2 with tail numberU139 was reported shot down in Belgorod Oblast, Russia.[172] On 2 August another drone, with call sign409, was shot down in Ukraine.[173] On 2 September, the remains of a Ukrainian TB2 drone were discovered in Kherson.[174]
By July 2022, Bayraktar TB2 losses reached 14 units confirmed visually by that time.[175]
On 15 January 2023 a Bayraktar TB2 was downed by Russian Electronic Warfare systems Downed using EW systems.[176]
On 22 January 2023, the remains of a destroyed Bayraktar TB2 drone were found in Odesa.[177]
The commander of the Russian Air Defense Force, Lieutenant General Andrey Demin, claimed in April 2023 that Russia had shot down "more than 100" Bayraktar drones since the war began.[178]
On 23 February 2023, a Bayraktar TB2 crashed in Kharkiv oblast due to friendly fire.[179]
On 5 May 2023, the Ukrainian air force said it downed one of its own TB2 drones over Kyiv, after they lost control of it due to a "likely" technical malfunction. No casualties were reported from the incident.[180]
On 12 May, another Bayraktar TB2 drone was shot down by Russian forces near Marinka.[181]
By June 2023, the role of the remaining TB2 drones had changed from attack to reconnaissance, staying out of the range of Russian air defenses and using their more advanced optics and sensors to guide other drones.[182]
On 17 July 2023, another TB2 drone, T 263 was shot down by Russian forces in Kherson Oblast.[183]
On 3 September 2023, Ukraine released video of a KS-701 patrol boat being destroyed by a TB2 drone. This was the first time the drone had been confirmed as being used offensively in several months. Recently, it had been used for reconnaissance, such as correcting artillery fire, due to Russian air defences.[184] It is believed that the degrading of Russian air defenses due to Ukrainian attacks have allowed TB2 drones to be used in air strikes again.[185] However, Colonel Volodymyr Valiukh, a commander in Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate, reported in late October 2023 that TB2 drones are now rarely used and only for short-time reconnaissance missions because of more sophisticated Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems. He specifically said: "For the TB2, I don't want to use the word useless, but it is hard to find situations where to use them".[186]
According to theOryx Blog, as of 25 February 2025, 26 Bayraktar TB2s were destroyed, either on the ground or having been shot down by Russian forces.[187]
Ethiopia
Ethiopian forces have reportedly been using the TB2 against theTPLF in theTigray War. Satellite images have shown TB2 drones inHarar Meda airbase, and debris ofMAM-L guided munition have been found inTigray.[188][189][190] On 7 January 2022, a drone strike killed nearly 60 civilians and injured dozens more in a camp of internally displaced people inDedebit in Tigray; the missile used was a MAM-L exclusively used with the TB2 drone.[191]
African insurgencies
Some parts of Africa face attacks by highly mobile bands of Islamist militants, who move through scrubby terrain by motorbike to attack isolated military and civilian targets. These attacks had largely been in theSahel, but by 2019 they had been spreading. Drones provide countries with the aerial surveillance capacity to seek and potentially attack insurgents. Buying from Turkey reduces the dependence of Niger and Togo on former-colonial-power France.[192]
Variants
Bayraktar TB2S
In October 2020, BaykarCTOSelçuk Bayraktar showed the new, improved version of TB2, named TB2S. In Bayraktar'sTwitter post, the TB2S has a protrusion on its body and an antenna on its nose for satellite communication (SATCOM).[193][194] In the basic model, TB2, communication between the aircraft and the control station was via ground-based antennas. Communication via theTÜRKSATsatellite provides a much greater control range than the 150–300 kilometres (93–186 mi) range of the basic model. The satellite communication will also make the TB2S more resistant to the jamming of communications by the enemy.[195] The SATCOM-integrated TB2S made its maiden flight on 4 December 2020.[196]
Bayraktar TB2T-AI
In February 2025, the CTO of Baykar,Selçuk Bayraktar, unveiled the new version on his official X page, followed by a video of the first flight of the updated drone. According to the post, the new variant has the following specifications:
Turbo Engine
New Aerodynamic Design (New added winglets and horizontal stabilisers to the inverted v-tail of TB2)
As of September 2023, the Bayraktar TB2 has been exported to 31 countries.[198] Some of these countries are unknown. The known countries are as follows:
Ukrainian Air Force – 6 operational and 48 more have been ordered (as of 2020).[214][125][124] (It is unknown how many systems are still in operation.)
Ukrainian Navy – 6 have been ordered, the first drone arrived in July 2021.[128][215][216] Four more were intended to be purchased by the end of 2022.[217] (It is unknown how many systems are still in operation.)
Polish Air Force – 24 drones were ordered in 2021, makingPoland the firstNATO andEU country to buy the drones.[240] The first batch of aircraft has delivered in 2022.[241] All drones were delivered in May 2024.[242]
United Arab Emirates Air Force – In September 2022,Reuters reported that Baykar has delivered 20 armed Bayraktar drones to the United Arab Emirates and could sell more in the future.[245] Later in 2022,Middle East Eye reported that the UAE is negotiating to buy 120 TB2 drones from Baykar—along with a large package of ammunition, training, and control centers—in a deal worth up to 2 billion dollars.[246] In March 2023, one TB2 drone was pictured next to UAE troops in Desert Tiger Exercise/6 military drills in Malaysia.[247]
Bangladesh Army – Bangladesh purchased 6 TB2s in 2023 with a plan to purchase 6 additional units in the future. The TB2 drones will operate from army hangars atChittagong/M.A. Hannan International, also known as Zahurul-Haque Air Base.[249]
Kosovo Security Force – In May 2023, it was announced that Kosovo security forces received five TB2s almost seven months after the initial agreement was signed with Baykar.[250]
Romanian Land Forces – TheRomanian 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.[252] On 25 April 2023, Haluk Bayraktar announced that Romania "joined the list of countries that took the high-tech Bayraktar TB2 SİHA into its inventory". The drones are to be delivered to the former93rd Air Base.[253] The first Romanian Bayraktar drone was presented at the military parade duringGreat Union Day on 1 December 2023.[251]
Albanian Armed Forces – In December 2022, Baykar's CEOHaluk Bayraktar signed a contract with the Albanian prime minister,Edi Rama, to deliver three Bayraktar TB2s to the armed forces of Albania in, with options to expand the fleet in future.[255] In March 2024, TB2 drones arrived to Albania and were placed at theKuçovë Air Base.[254][256]
Kenyan Armed Forces – 6 Bayraktar. TB2s were spotted in a military hangar in Kenya, displaying the Kenyan flag.The delivery follows a training program for Kenyan operators at the Baykar Flight Training Center in Keşan, Turkey.[258]
Croatian Air Force – On 21 November 2024, Croatia has signed a €67 million agreement with Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar Makina to acquire six Bayraktar TB2s.[259] Becoming the 6th NATO and 4th EU member state to add TB2 in their defence inventory.[260]
Iraqi Armed Forces – 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.[261][262][263]
Kuwaiti Armed Forces – Baykar signed a $370 million (TL 6.95 billion)-contract to export TB2s to Kuwait.[265]
Specifications (TB2)
5-view drawing of Bayraktar TB2 tactical drone in flight configuration. The craft is armed with a MAM-L bomb on an inner and a MAM-C bomb on an outer stb. hardpoint.UMTAS missile used with TB2[266]
Specifications for the Bayraktar TB2 (not TB2S) from Baykar Defence.[267][268]
ANTIDOT 2-U/S electronic support pod. This pod can detect, identify, and locate signals from enemy radars. The pod has a power consumption of 300 W, which can be satisfied by tactical UAVs and UCAVs.
ANTIDOT 2-U LB/MB/HB mini-EW.
ANTIDOT 3-U mini-EW pod against UAV data links and GNSS.
^abKasapoglu, Can (17 April 2020)."Turkey's Drone Blitz Over Idlib".Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved3 March 2025.While the Turkish Armed Forces scored a large number of kills on the Baathist regime's combat units, the unmanned systems' success in eliminating Syria's Russian-manufactured surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems deserve the utmost attention. Within a week, Turkey's UAVs destroyed a total of eight Pantsir and Buk air defenses
^abcCafarella, Jennifer; Dunford, John; Land, Michael; Wallace, Blane (18 March 2020)."Turkey Commits to Idlib".Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved3 March 2025.Turkey's intervention in Idlib Province changed the military balance in northwest Syria... Turkey has compelled Russia to enter a new de-escalation agreement, but that agreement is unlikely to hold... Russia opted to de-escalate in Idlib in September 2018 after attempting but failing to compel Turkish-backed opposition groups to surrender...Turkey's response indirectly but significantly weakened Russia's military position in Idlib. The casualties and equipment losses badly depleted the ability of pro-regime forces to launch further offensives...Turkey's targeting of regime aircraft and airbases also forced Russia to face even greater material and manpower costs to sustain an air campaign, either by expanding its own air campaign or offsetting the regime's losses. Finally, Turkey's targeting of the regime's air force also delivered a significant morale victory for the Syrian opposition and the displaced Syrian populations who have suffered years of unmitigated aerial bombardment.
^Bakeer, Ali (26 March 2020)."The fight for Syria's skies: Turkey challenges Russia with new drone doctrine".Middle East Institute.As part of the operation, Turkish military planners introduced a new military doctrine that prescribes the use of drones as an air force in a conventional battle. For Turkey, the advantages drones offer are clear: They enabled Ankara to dominate the skies without the need for a traditional air force and to inflict massive damage on the enemy from above without land-ground engagement. ...The precision and the lethality of the Turkish drone strikes in Idlib were remarkable. The massive attacks against Assad regime forces also humiliated the Russians, whose technology, including air defense systems (ADSs) designed to counter such threats, proved useless.)
^abTanchum, Michaël (25 March 2020)."Turkey's In-between State of War and Peace with Russia".The Turkey Analyst. Retrieved25 December 2024.Employing its domestically-produced KORAL land-based transportable electronic warfare system that can create ghost images on enemy radar, Turkey was able to inflict an impressive amount of damage to Syrian as well as Russian military assets using its Bayraktar TB2 and Anka combat drones...Turkey's overriding interest to entrench its influence northern Syria compel Ankara to yield to Moscow and seek a new equilibrium somewhere between war and peace in Idlib.
^"An uncertain future for Idlib as Assad is welcomed back to the international stage".The New Arab. 5 June 2023. Retrieved25 December 2024.The Syrian regime has expressed its desire to reclaim the (Idlib) province, but ever since a March 2020 offensive ended in a disastrous defeat at the hands of Turkey, the territory has not changed hands
^"The Syrian Regime's Combat Losses in Spring 2020, and What Lies Ahead".Middle East Institute. Retrieved18 October 2020.In one week, this Turkish offensive, supporting a rebel ground offensive, killed at least 405 pro-regime fighters, including 30 high-ranking officers, and led to the destruction or capture of 73 armored vehicles. Among the dead was an entire Republican Guards operations room consisting of the commander of the 124th Brigade, his battalion commander, and a lt. colonel and major from the brigade; a Syrian Hezbollah commander; and the operations commander and three field commanders of the Tiger Force's Taha Regiment.
^Lister, Charles (12 March 2020)."Turkey's High Stakes in Northwest Syria".New Lines Institute. Retrieved27 December 2024.In the space of a week, Turkey's air campaign appears to have destroyed the following (I'm told that the U.S. government considers this information "more or less" accurate):3 fighter jets,3 aerial drones,8 helicopters,135 tanks,86 artillery and multiple rocket launch (MRL) systems,77 armored vehicles,9 arms depots,5 air defense systems,16 anti-tank guided missile and mortar positions
^"How did Turkish UAVs outmaneuver Russia's Pantsir air defense in Libya: Lessons and ramifications". The Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis. 27 May 2020.A sophisticated attack on the forces of the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar by the Turkish-backed Government of the National Accord on May 17 led to the destruction of numerous Russian-made Pantisr air defense systems. In all, around nine may have been destroyed and one captured.
^Parachini, John V.; Wilson, Peter A. (2 July 2020)."Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems".RAND Corporation.In recent weeks, drones supplied by Turkey in support of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord have reportedly destroyed the Russian Pantsir short-range air defense systems (SHORADS) that the opposition Libyan National Army (LNA) used to protect their forces. Many of the tactics, techniques, and procedures used to defeat SHORADS in Libya were tested during the Turkish military's brief 2020 winter campaign in Idlib Province during which Turkey destroyed Pantsir SHORAD and Buk-M1 medium-range SAM systems operated by the Assad Regime.
^"Libya's deadly game of drones".Arabian Aerospace. 19 March 2020. Archived fromthe original on 5 August 2021.On July 25, several Bayraktars were used to attack and subsequently destroy two Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft operated by Ukraine's Air Europe airfreight company, at Al Jufra Air Base. A hangar was also destroyed at the base, which was being used as a key staging post for supporters of General Haftar's LNA.
^Axe, David (9 April 2022)."Russia Just Lost A Killer Drone Over Ukraine. It Can't Afford To Lose Many More".Forbes.At the same time, there's photographic evidence that the Ukrainians have shot down at least one of Russia's killer drones. Yes, the Russians have shot down at least three TB-2s, but the Ukrainians can afford to lose more drones.
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Turkey [2014][199]
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