The Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2 drones remain the only major warplane Ukraine has purchased
in the last three decades.
And they’ll go down as one of the most decisive military acquisitions in the country’s existence.
Since the Russian onslaught began in February, TB2s have helped to keep Ukraine in the fight
by eliminating key Russian military infrastructure and equipment, including Moskva…..a major
Russian flagship vessel that patrols the Black sea.
Demand for drones has hit new heights in recent times, and their importance on the frontline
of warfare is growing rapidly, and that's due in part to the successes achieved by the
TB2 in Ukraine.
But what exactly does this drone entail, and why are the Ukrainian forces raving about
it?
Join us in today's video as we explain all the necessary features of the Bayraktar TB2
drones.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a tactical armed unmanned aerial vehicle designed to carry out surveillance,
combat, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering missions.
How Was It Developed?
The development of a domestically produced drone became a top priority for the Turkish
government when the United States banned the sales of UAVs to Turkey in the early 2000s.
However, the responsibility fell on Baykar technologies, a private defense company owned
by Özdemir Bayraktar.
And it's fair to say they shouldered it nicely.
At the time he founded the company in 1984, Özdemir Bayraktar’s major investment in
the project was a single drilling machine.
But he was able to guide the firm from that little beginning to becoming one of the pioneers
of drone technology not only in Turkey but also in the world.
The development and testing phase for the Bayraktar TB2 happened between 2005 and 2009.
But production was not completed until 2014.
Having seen the effectiveness of the TB2 during testing, the Turkish Land Forces were the
first customers to purchase combat-ready Bayraktar TB2s drones, purchasing 12 units between 2014
and 2015.
We should also mention that Baykar got some help from the United Kingdom in producing
the TB2 UAV.
According to a detailed report by The Guardian, the micro-munitions bomb rack used by the
drone is supplied by EDO MBM Technology Ltd, a UK company that “offers a complete design
service for the interfacing of any airborne weapon onto any aircraft type.”
This was confirmed by the UK Department for International Trade which revealed that Hornet
bomb racks were exported to Turkey between 2014 and 2020.
What Are Its Features?
The Bayraktar TB2 UAV has a wing span of 12 meters and a length of 6.2 meters.
It has a maximum take-off weight of 700 kg and can carry a payload of 150 kilograms consisting
of four laser-guided smart ammunition - meaning it weighs seven times less than the US-built
MQ-9 Reaper.
The TB2’s standard payload configuration is equipped with high-tech gadgets such as
an electro-optical camera module, an infrared camera module, a laser designator, a laser
range finder, and a laser pointer.
Other significant features include a triple-redundant avionics system, GPS receiver, microcontroller,
engine control, servo motor power control, and engine signal processing.
A number of important sensors are also part of the TB2 system, including a static pitot
sensor, a laser altimeter, and alpha-beta sensor modules.
There's one dedicated to measuring speed, temperature, and fuel level as well.
The maximum speed for this drone is anywhere between 148 to 222 kilometers per hour.
While maximum range clocks in at below 300 kilometers.
The Bayraktar TB2 wears a monocoque design that blends nicely with its inverse detail
structure.
Its fuselage is built from carbon fiber, Kevlar, and hybrid composites, while the joint segments
are molded with precision computer numerical control (CNC) machined aluminum components.
With a fuel capacity of 300 liters, the TB2 can fly nonstop for 27 hours, reaching an
operational altitude of 18,000 feet and a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet.
It can conveniently fly during the day or at night and even in snowy conditions.
Currently, the TB2 holds the Turkish aviation record for endurance.
The Baykar Real-Time Imagery Transmission System allows this drone to send live situation
reports to the control center recorded in HD.
The footage is then saved in a 30-minute sequence
A temporary password generated by the system is required to access both the live and archived.
Usually, a typical Bayraktar TB2 system will contain more than one drone, and it is sold
together with a number of gadgets that help its operations.
A typical TB2 unit would contain six aerial vehicles or drones, two ground control stations,
two remote video terminals, two ground support equipment, and two ground data terminals.
Poland recently purchased four such units for a combined fee of $270 million, which
suggests that a single Bayraktar TB2 system costs around $67.5 million.
That might sound expensive at first, but in reality, it’s a great piece of business
for the Polish government when you consider that a single Reaper drone alone would set
you back by $32 million.
Meanwhile, the entire Reaper unit cost well over $100 million.
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Sales
Since its inception in 2014, the TB2 has been a huge success, earning Baykar technologies
and Turkey worldwide recognition.
It has become quite popular among countries in the Middle East and Africa because of its
affordability, performance, and post-sale support offered by Baykar.
As part of the after-sales support, Baykar supplies spare parts and also sets up training
programs in Western Turkey to help customers understand the TB2 drone.
And Turkey has in the past leveraged this position of strength to bargain favorable
deals during negotiations with other countries.
On one occasion, Turkey signed a defense deal with Nigeria, which included training pilots
from the West African country in exchange for liquefied natural gas and other minerals.
The ease of buying ammunition from Turkey is also a contributing factor to the enormous
amount of drone sales that Baykar Technologies has been able to rack up in recent years.
At the time of making this video, about 13 countries have either bought or placed orders
for the TB2.
They include Nigeria, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates.
And Slovakia is looking to join in the party pretty soon.
War Success
Bayraktar TB2 drones have enjoyed plenty of success on the battlefield, mostly against
Russian military equipment.
This is quite strange because both countries are strong allies.
Many Russian tourists frequent Turkey.
Russia is a strategic trading partner for Turkey, and the Putin-led country is helping
Turkey build its first nuclear power plant.
However, their involvement in external wars has ensured that Russian anti-aircraft are
always on the hunt for Turkish drones.
During the Libyan civil war, Russia and Turkey swore allegiance to opposing fighting groups.
This arrangement saw the Bayraktar TB2 UAV face off against Russia’s air defense system
called the Pantsir-S1.
In the end, at least 12 TB2s were shot down, and nine Pantsirs were destroyed.
Russia seemed to have won this episode, but Turkey had the perfect response.
Azerbaijan has great ties with Turkey, meanwhile, its neighbor, Armenia, has a well-documented
security coalition with Russia.
So in 2020, when Azerbaijan launched an assault on Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia, the stage
was set for another showdown between Russian and Turkish military equipment.
According to official reports, Azerbaijan’s efforts in the early days were basically unsuccessful
until Turkey intervened.
As expected, the Bayraktar TB2 drones were deployed, and for six weeks, they rained terror
on the Russian military equipment used by Armenia, destroying over five hundred targets,
including armored tanks and missile-defense systems, and artillery.
“We lost the air war,” Avetisyan, an Armenian ambassador to the United States, said months
later.
Owing to the success of the TB2 UAVs in the war, President İlham Aliyev of the Republic
of Azerbaijan bestowed the award of the Order of Karabkh to the man behind the development
of the TB2 drones, Özdemir Bayraktar, in 2021.
Mr Bayraktar died that same year, leaving the operations of the company in the hands
of his two sons.
They both would go on to lead the company into its most successful battlefield appearance
yet.
And this time, it had more significance because it was against Russian military equipment
operated by Russian military officials.
Since the Russian assault began earlier this year, Bayakta TB2 drones have been at the
forefront of the battlefield, championing the great resistance from the Ukrainian forces.
And they continue to do so even as you watch this video.
The Russian Flagship that we mentioned earlier remains the drone’s biggest kill so far.
But as you’d imagine, it's responsible for several other Russian casualties.
Hundreds of tanks.
Thousands of soldiers.
Dozens of missile-defense systems and millions of dollars in Russian military equipment have
been single-handedly destroyed by TB2 drones.
The Bayakta TB2 drone has come a long way since it secured its first kill in April 2016,
gaining war experience and delivering deadly airstrikes on criminal elements as defined
by its operator.
But, with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the endless orders placed by several countries,
it doesn't look like it's going to retire anytime soon.
What's your favorite feature of the Bayakta TB2 drone?
Would you advise your country to purchase it?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Be sure to check this video over here.