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Bayraktar TB2

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Bayraktar TB2
Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB2
Role Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
National origin Turkey
Manufacturer Baykar
First flight August 2014; 10 years ago (2014-08)
Status In service
Primary users Turkish Air Force
Developed from Bayraktar TB1
Developed into Bayraktar Akıncı

The Bayraktar TB2 is a Turkish medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations manufactured by Turkey′s Baykar company primarily for the Turkish Air Force (TAF).[1] The aircraft is monitored and controlled by an aircrew in the Ground Control Station, including weapons employment. Bayraktar means "ensign" or "standard-bearer" in Turkish. The development of the UAV has been largely credited to Selçuk Bayraktar, a former MIT student.[2][3]

Development

The development of the Bayraktar TB2 had been spurred by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey due to concerns they would be used against PKK groups inside and outside Turkey.[2]

The Bayraktar TB2 first flew in August 2014.[4] On 18 December 2015, a video was published for the missile test of Bayraktar TB2.[5][6] [7][8]

Baykar 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.[9][10][11] Ukraine received the first batch of UAVs in March 2019.[12]

Operational history

Iraq

According to Turkey’s defence ministry, Bayraktar TB2 was used to kill PKK militants across the border in Iraq in early November 2019.[2]

Libya

Bayraktar TB2 loaded with MAM L

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[13] about to land at Mitiga's Military section, under control of GNA-allied forces. Turkish TB2s have continued to see wide scale use in western Libya, targeting LNA fighters. The LNA routinely reports downing of Turkish drones, claiming to shoot down six in one week.[14]

In December 2019, the LNA claimed to have shot down two Turkish TB2 UAVs in Ain Zarah near Tripoli.[15]

On 31 March 2020, Libyan National Army shot down another Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone near the Libyan city of Tripoli.[16]

On 5 April 2020 an Antonov An-26 transport plane was destroyed on an airstrip near Tarhuna, Libya. Forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA) reported that it had shot an Antonov cargo plane carrying ammunition for Libyan National Army (LNA) militias. LNA confirmed the attack but stated that the aircraft carried medical supplies. It was reported unconfirmedly that the aircraft was hit by fire from a Bayraktar TB2 drone.[17]

On April 17, 2020, a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 Drone shot down near Bani Walid.[18]

In the 3rd week of May 2020, Libyan National Army's Pantsir missile system has reportedly shot down two of Government of National Accord’s Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drones. One near Tarhuna city and the another one near Jebel Sherif.[19]

According to Lostarmour, a website that tracks aircraft and armour losses based in photographic evidence, at least 19 TB2s are confirmed as destroyed as of June 8, 2020.[20]

Syria

See also: Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War and List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the Syrian Civil War

The Bayraktar TB2 along with Anka-S UAVs as well as an array of electronic jammers were deployed and extensively used in coordinated action to strike targets on the ground during the Operation Spring Shield launched by Turkey following the heavy losses the Turkish forces incurred at the hands of the Russian forces in northwestern Syria at the end February 2020.[21][22][23] The deployment was assessed by experts to be a success and a tactical game-changer.[24][25][26] Russian sources alleged that the Russian-backed Syrian air defence had downed seven Bayraktar TB2 UAVs by 5 March 2020.[27] The drones are reportedly armed with MAM-C and MAM-L ‘micro-munitions’ with ranges up to 8.6 miles.[28][29]

On 18 March 2020, a team of the ANNA News news agency reported the finding of the wreck of a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 shot down in Saraqib.[30][31]

Turkey

On 2 July 2018, A Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB-2S crashed most likely due to engine failure in Hatay province.[32]

Azerbaijan

In June 2020, the Defence Minister of Azerbaijan, Zakir Hasanov, announced that Azerbaijan had taken the decision to purchase Bayraktar drones from Turkey.[33] During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Bayraktar TB2s have been used against Armenian Armed Forces and against military posts of Armenia.[34]

Operators

  •  Turkey: 110 operational TB2 Drones
  •  Qatar: 6 operational TB2 Drones
  •  Ukraine: 6 operational TB2 Drones

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ "Bayraktar TB2". Military Factory. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Revealed: how UK technology fuelled Turkey's rise to global drone power". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. ^ "BAYKAR İnsansız Hava Aracı Sistemleri | SELÇUK BAYRAKTAR". www.baykarsavunma.com.
  4. ^ Haber7 Archived 2018-06-18 at the Wayback Machine 18 December 2015
  5. ^ Youtube Archived 2016-01-05 at the Wayback Machine May I present to you eventually, 100% Turkish manufactured armed UAV: BAYRAKTAR TB2
  6. ^ "Official video footage of Turkish UCAV tests". Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Yerli IHA ilk harekatinda 5 teroristi vurdu". 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Bayraktar ilk silahlı operasyonunu PKK'ya yaptı". Kokpit.Aero. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Ukraine confirms procurement of Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles". Defence Blog. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Libya: Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 UAV seen at the GNA-held airbase". Military Africa. Military Africa. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  14. ^ "LNA Downs Six Turkish Drones". Asharq AL-awsat.
  15. ^ "Libya: LNA Downs Two Turkish Drones in Tripoli". Asharq Al-Awsat. 27 February 2020.
  16. ^ "New drone shot down south of Tripoli". itamilradar. 31 March 2020.
  17. ^ https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200405-0 Sunday 5 April 2020
  18. ^ "Drone Losses Impact Turkey's Fighting in Libya | Small Wars Journal". smallwarsjournal.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Haftar's Pantsir System Shoots Down Libyan Army's Bayraktar TB2 Drone". www.defenseworld.net. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Lostarmour ID: 23673". lostarmour.info.
  21. ^ "Damage caused to Assad regime assets demonstrates Turkey's high UAV capabilities". dailysabah.com. 1 March 2020.
  22. ^ "Turkey's Killer Drone Swarm Poses Syria Air Challenge to Putin". Bloomberg News. 1 March 2020.
  23. ^ Karnozov, Vladimir (2 March 2020). "Fighter-bombers and Anka UAVs Downed as Turkey and Syria Exchange Blows". Aviation International News. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Ten Hezbollah, Syrian Army Commanders Killed in Turkish Drone Strikes". defenseworld.net. 3 March 2020.
  25. ^ Gatopoulos, Alex (3 March 2020). "Battle for Idlib: Turkey's drones and a new way of war". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  26. ^ Petkova, Mariya (2 March 2020). "Turkish drones – a 'game changer' in Idlib". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Турецкая армия потеряла десять дронов над Идлибом за 3 дня". eadaily.com. 5 March 2020.
  28. ^ Roblin, Sebastien (2 March 2020). "Turkish Drones and Artillery Are Devastating Assad's Forces In Idlib Province-Here's Why". Forbes. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  29. ^ Frantzman, Seth J. (2 March 2020). "Turkish drones revolutionize Idlib conflict – analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  30. ^ "Wreckage Of Turkish Combat Drone Uncovered In Southeast Idlib (Photos)". Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  31. ^ "ANNA-NEWS|Новости|Сирия|Донбасс". Telegram.
  32. ^ "Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB-2S armed drone crashed in Hatay province". 2 July 2018.
  33. ^ Anadolu Ajansı. "Azerbaijan to purchase combat drones from Turkey". Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  34. ^ "Turkish armed drones used against Armenia, Azerbaijan confirms". Middle East Eye. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
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