Turkish drone maker Baykar is planning to complete the construction of its manufacturing plant in Ukraine in two years, its chief executive Its Bayraktar TB2 drone gained so much prominence with the public that Ukrainians composed a song about it and some allies launched unprecedented crowdfunded campaigns to buy more.
After the company became highly renowned for their drones’ success in thwarting Russian forces. The aerial drones supplied to Ukraine by Baykar were instrumental in Ukraine’s defense against Russian armour and anti-aircraft systems in the first few weeks of the Russian invasion. As part of an agreement between Turkey and Ukraine, signed just before Russia’s February 24 invasion, Baykar had agreed to build its second manufacturing plant in Ukraine.
Though Baykar is not the only military drone developer in Turkey, the TB2 has figured so prominently in conflicts that it now spearheads Turkey’s global defence export push. Last year the company made up a fifth of Turkey’s $3.2 billion in defense exports. Deployment of the company’s Bayraktar TB2 drone has been a major factor influencing conflicts from Syria to Azerbaijan and Ukraine, pushing Baykar into the global spotlight and transforming it into a major manufacturer and exporter. The battle-proven TB2 drone is being sold to 24 countries including NATO member Poland, while the company signed deals with five countries for exports of its much larger sibling Akinci. While the TB2 can lift off with up to 150 kg (330 pounds) of missiles or equipment, Akinci, first delivered to Turkish armed forces last year, can fly much higher and take off with 10 times the weight.
The Bayraktar UAV or Bayraktar UCAV is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles designed and manufactured by Turkish company Baykar. The word bayraktar means flag-bearer in Turkish.Bayraktar Mini UAV is a miniature UAV and the first UAV produced by Turkish company Baykar.Bayraktar TB1 (or Bayraktar Çaldiran) is the prototype UAV made for the Tactical UAV program of the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries of Turkey, started in 2007.Bayraktar TB2 is the serial production aircraft of the first tactical UAV of Baykar, Bayraktar TB1.Bayraktar Aiknci is the first High-altitude Long EndurancThe Bayraktar TB3 is a variant of the TB2 that is capable of landing on a ship deck. e (HALE) class unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) of Baykar.Bayraktar Kizilelma (Bayraktar Red Apple) is a proposed supersonic[34] jet-powered single-engined stealth[35] carrier-capable unmanned combat aircraft in development in 2021.
Baykar is a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence. Baykar is a portmanteau of the words Bayraktar Kardesler (English: Bayraktar Brothers). The company presently operates under the names “Baykar Teknoloji” (Baykar Technology) and “Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.” (Baykar Machine Industry and Trade Inc.). Baykar’s portfolio of advanced UAVs includes Bayraktar Tactical UAS (Bayraktar TB1), Bayraktar TB2 UCAV, Bayraktar Akinci UCAV. It is also developing a flying car (quadricopter) which it started testing in 2020. The car called Cezeri and weighing 230 kilograms, rose 10 metres above the ground in the tests carried out in Istanbul in September 2020. In 2021, the Ukrainian military for the first time in the War in Donbas used a Bayraktar strike drone Bayraktar TB2. In June 2022, the “People’s Bayraktar” fundraising project was launched in Ukraine, which managed fundraise in three over UAH 600 million to purchase three Bayraktar TB2.[8]
