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| Not Only Bayraktar TB2, Turkey's Akinci and Kizilelma Drones Will Also be Produced in Ukraine |
Kiev - The conflict between Russia and Ukraine provokes different perspectives from different countries. The eastern region prefers "neutral" to this condition. While the west condemned President Putin's aggression against Ukraine.
As a form of "friendship", western countries have supplied various kinds of weapons to Ukraine. European countries are sending the latest weaponry including anti-tank missiles. Including Turkey, which sends many Bayraktar TB2 drones there. The arrival of this unmanned platform is believed to be a “game changer” of war.
Early last March, the Ukrainian Defense Minister confirmed that TB2 had arrived in his country. Ukraine is known to have received six TB2 from Turkey prior to the conflict with Russia. In 2019, Ukraine began ordering these drones. The Ukrainian Air and Navy has received a total of about 20 drones. The TB2 is the country's only attack drone.
First deployed in October 2021, it was used to destroy 122mm D-30 separatist artillery in the breakaway Donbass region. The capability of the Bayraktar TB2 drone has proven to be effective against Russian troops and their military assets.
It is known that the price per unit of Bayraktar is only in the single digits of a million dollars, making it very popular in the market. Operators are not afraid to deploy them, even in the most serious conditions of war.
Turkish military drone maker Baykar has purchased a plot of land in Ukraine. Ankara intends to manufacture its unmanned platforms or drones there. This news was confirmed by the Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar to the Daily Sabah.
The Ukrainian government has agreed to a bilateral agreement on the construction of the Bayraktar plant in the country.
Engines, wheels or other parts of Ukrainian production could be used in the production of the drones, according to the ambassador. Baykar also previously said that it would set up a joint training and maintenance center for Turkish attack drones in Ukraine.
The memorandum is a step towards joint production of Ukrainian-Turkish drones. The Bayraktar TB2 drone itself is spearheading Turkey's global defense export push.
Quoted from Daily Sabah, this attack drone has flown in the conflicts of Syria, Iraq, Libya and Karabakh. As already mentioned above, Ukraine had ordered 20 of these drones, even before the war. Bayraktar TB2 proved very helpful for Ukrainian troops against Russia. He had destroyed Moscow's artillery systems and armored vehicles.
TB2 is a drone tasked with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It can also be operated for armed attack missions and is a medium class, it can fly at an operational altitude of 18,000 feet. And not only TB2, Turkey will also produce other drones in Ukraine, namely Akinci and Kızılelma.
Akinci himself is predicted to be the successor of Bayraktar TB2. Quoted from Airforce Technology, Akinci is designed to operate with different ammunition configurations. Due to its larger size than the TB2, the Akinci can also fight alongside fighter jets.
The most interesting thing about the Akinci drone is that it is supported by Artificial intelligence or AI. With AI, drones integrate with the platform, enhancing signal processing, sensor fusion and real-time situational awareness. With these features, Akinci can fly semi-automatically and even fully automatic.
The Kizilelma drone itself is built for more than just an unmanned aerial platform. Later, he can even replace the role of a fighter jet.
Quoted from New Arab, the Kizilelma is a jet-powered unmanned fighter aircraft, this drone will have a live engine, low-observable, supersonic, and will operate on aircraft carriers.
A defense expert named Yusuf Akbaba assesses that the Kizilelma drone is an option for countries that want to have fighter jets with minimal funds.