Turkey’s superstar drone maker Baikal has broken ground on a new factory near Kiev, Ukraine, to produce its popular armed drones. These armed drones have been used to great effect by the Ukrainians against the Russian invaders.
Baykar’s drone is Popular items After achieving remarkable success on battlefields such as Syria and Libya, Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict It’s 2020, video The Ukrainians’ use of Bayraktar TB2 drones to wipe out Russian armored vehicles and artillery in 2021 was the best advertisement the Turkish company could have asked for.
Ukrainians enthusiastically praised the Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This unmanned aerial vehicle is cheaper, more reliable, easier to maintain, and most importantly easier to launch than a drone with comparable capabilities. The Ukrainian military has perfected hit-and-run raids with the TB2, which can be easily transported in small trucks and activated in a fraction of a second.
CEO Halk Bayraktar said in March 2022 that sales have been strong since Ukraine adopted the TB2, and Baikal now has enough capital to start competing with China in the drone business across Asia. He said he put it in. Bayraktar noted that China is nervous about selling drones to countries with potential for conflict, leaving a huge market for Turkish companies to tap.
The 500th Bayraktar TB2, Kizilerma, Bayraktar TB3 UAV, and Bayraktar Akinci are seen during a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, June 23, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Baykar/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Turkish drones were so effective against Russia that President Vladimir Putin pressured Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that he would stop selling Bayraktar to Ukrainians. Selcuk Bayraktar, the drone’s designer, is married to President Erdoğan’s daughter.
President Erdoğan apparently chose not to use his authority or personal influence over the Bayraktar brothers to block sales to Ukraine. So Putin switched his tactics and tried to persuade Baikal to build a drone factory in Russia.
Instead, Ukrainian officials announced In August 2022, Baikal announced that it plans to build a factory near Kiev to supply both Ukrainians and dozens of other international customers.The factory is Planned Like Baikal, even before the Russian invasion began signed In 2019, we signed a joint production contract with a Ukrainian state-owned company.
Kharchuk Bayraktar claimed that He and his company had no intention of selling drones to Russia because they “support Ukraine, support its sovereignty, support its resistance to independence.”
On July 5, 2022, a fleet of seven Bayraktar Akinci unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) gathers at the Flight Training and Test Center in Istanbul, Turkey. (BAYKAR/Handout/Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images)
“Our factory is under construction” Kharçuk Bayraktar Said On Tuesday, he visited facilities in Ukraine during a visit to the World Defense Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It will take about 12 months to complete the construction. Then we will move on to the internal machinery, equipment and organizational structure,” he said.
Bayraktar said the Kiev plant would “employ around 500 people” and produce around 120 cars a year. New TB3 model. TB3 can: controlled It can fly longer distances, carry more advanced “smart” ammunition, and take off from very narrow runways thanks to its foldable wings. This capability will enable launches from ships such as Turkey’s upcoming aircraft. amphibious assault flagship,TCG Anadolu.
Asked by reporters if a Russian attack could disrupt the project, he said plans for the Ukrainian factory were “fully advanced” and “nothing” could be done to stop them. answered.
Bayraktar also said his company plans to open a factory in Saudi Arabia within two years to produce another line of drones. Bayraktar Akinci.
Akinci is a much larger UAV with a longer range and heavier payload. Although his vaunted TB2 is a precision strike weapon, Akinci can carry out longer bombing missions, jam enemy electronics, and even engage in air-to-air combat.
hulk bayraktar Said In October, the Ukrainian government announced that it was considering purchasing Akinci drones for its country, but had not yet made a firm decision. This makes Saudi Arabia the largest customer for the large UAV, even though its design includes Ukrainian engines.
