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Bayraktar TB2

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Bayraktar TB2
File:Armed Bayraktar TB2.jpg
Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB2
Role Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
National origin Turkey
Manufacturer Bayraktar
First flight August 2014; 10 years ago (2014-08)
Introduction 29 April 2014
Status In service
Primary users Turkish Air Force
Number built 118 as of 2020
Developed from Bayraktar TB1
Developed into Bayraktar Akıncı

The Bayraktar TB2 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by Bayraktar primarily for the Turkish Air Force (TAF).[1] The Bayraktar TB2 marks the first indigenous armed UCAV system for the nation of Turkey.

The TB2 is based on the earlier Bayraktar TB1 first flown in 2009 and introduced in 2014. The TB2 is the "armed reconnaissance" form and has performed numerous successful military operations.[2] The aircraft is monitored and controlled by aircrew in the Ground Control Station, including weapons employment.

The aircraft features a pair of hardpoints under the wings, one per wing, that allow for the carrying of various ordnance types including Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) as well as Laser-Guided Bombs (LGBs). All this adds to the precision strike capability so sought after by today's militaries. Beyond the ability to self-designate and strike at ground targets, the series has also been used to laser-designate missile targets for Turkish Army attack helicopters like the American-made HueyCobra.

Development

The Bayraktar TB2 first flew in August 2014, reached 27,000 feet altitude and stayed in air for 24 hours and 34 minutes. Bayraktar TB2 has wing span of 12 meters and max takeoff weight of 650 kg.

On 17 December 2015, the missile system of Bayraktar TB2 UCAV was successfully tested. In the tests, long-range anti-tank missile UMTAS (diameter: 160 mm; target range: min 500 m, max 8 km) developed by Roketsan was used. Two UMTAS missiles (with each one 37.5 kg) were mounted to the both wings of Bayraktar TB2 UCAV. The 2x2m target panel was (with 100% accuracy and precision) hit from 8 km away and 16000 feet (about 5000m) altitude with laser guided UMTAS missile by the operator pilot in ground station. Thus, Turkey became the 6th country in the world that produces UCAV (USA: Predator, Reaper; China: CH-3 with short-range AR-1 missile; Israel: Hermes; Iran: Shahed 129 with Sadid-1 missile, Pakistan Burraq Ucav with Burq Missile).[3] On 18 December 2015, a video was published for the missile test of Bayraktar TB2.[4][5] On 8 September 2016 the Bayraktar TB2 recorded its first kill, during an operation against the PKK.[6][7]

Bayraktar signed a deal with Qatar in March 2018 to manufacture six drones for the Qatari forces. In January 2018, Baykar signed an agreement with Ukrspetsproject on the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and 3 ground control stations worth $69 million for the Ukrainian army.[8][9][10] Ukraine received the first batch of UAVs in March 2019.[11]

Operational history

Iraq

On 15 August 2018, Turkish Land Forces successfully used Bayraktar TB2 in a joint cross-border operation of the Turkish Armed Forces and the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey to kill the senior Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader and board member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) İsmail Özden in Sinjar District, northwestern Iraq.

Libya

In June 2019, international news media reported that the Libyan Government of National Accord used Bayraktar to strike an airbase held by General Haftar's Libyan National Army. Despite the UN embargo on Libya's ongoing civil war, it is suspected that at least 3 Bayraktar TB2 UCAV are being used over Tripoli by the UN recognized government. The LNA general Haftar's forces, on the other hand, claimed to have destroyed one UAV in Mitiga airport. Video evidence shows at-least one Bayraktar TB2 flying over Tripoli[12] about to land at Mitiga's Military section, under control of GNA-allied forces.

In December 2019, the LNA claimed to have shot down two Turkish TB2 UAVs in Ain Zarah near Tripoli.[13]

Syria

See also: Syrian Civil War and Turkish military intervention in Afrin

Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones were heavily used in Ankara’s three operations to date against Kurdish-led forces in Syria, responsible for the killing of 449 individuals in one of them, amounting to a fifth of the officially declared fatalities.[14]

On February 12, 2018 The Syrian Democratic Forces allegedly shot down a Turkish Bayraktar Tactical UAS that crashed near Quda, a small town in the Rajo district of Afrin near the Syria-Turkey border.[15]

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kale-Baykar Bayraktar Tactical.
  1. ^ "Bayraktar TB2". Military Factory. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  2. ^ "how UK technology fuelled Turkey's rise to global drone power". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. ^ Haber7 Archived 2018-06-18 at the Wayback Machine 18 December 2015
  4. ^ Youtube Archived 2016-01-05 at the Wayback Machine May I present to you eventually, 100% Turkish manufactured armed UAV: BAYRAKTAR TB2
  5. ^ "Official video footage of Turkish UCAV tests". Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Yerli IHA ilk harekatinda 5 teroristi vurdu". 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Bayraktar ilk silahlı operasyonunu PKK'ya yaptı". Kokpit.Aero. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Ukraine confirms procurement of Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles". Defence Blog. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Ukraine signs agreement to procure Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones". The Defense Post. 12 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Ukraine, Turkey have signed deal for 12 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, Poroshenko says". Daily Sabah. 12 January 2019. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019.
  11. ^ Sariibrahimoglu, Lale (11 March 2019). "Ukraine receives Bayraktar armed UAVs from Turkey". Jane's 360. Ankara. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Libya: Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 UAV seen at the GNA-held airbase". Military Africa. Military Africa. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  13. ^ "Libyan Rebels Shoot Down Turkish Plane Moments After Ankara Approves Sending Troops". zerohedge.
  14. ^ "how UK technology fuelled Turkey's rise to global drone power". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  15. ^ "SDF claims it shot down a Turkish Bayraktar drone that crashed in Afrin". The Defense Post. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018.
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