The new armed drone of Türkiye's drone giant Baykar has entered mass production and could be exported within the next five to six months, according to Haluk Bayraktar, the company's CEO.
Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the new drone capable of folding its wings and tailored for the country's first aircraft carrier, the TCG Anadolu, has entered mass production, Bayraktar, said on Saturday.
"Maybe this year, in a few months, maybe in five to six months, we may hear some news in terms of exports," he said while speaking to the technology desk of Anadolu Agency (AA).
Bayraktar emphasized that the TB3 UCAV builds on the success of its predecessor, the TB2, with the added capability of landing on naval platforms, making it a versatile addition to Türkiye’s growing arsenal of defense technology.
Earlier, in an interview, the company's chief executive also announced they were allocating resources to increase in-house component production to address industry supply chain challenges, pointing to plans to invest about $300 million in developing jet engines.
Speaking at the SAHA EXPO 2024, Bayraktar, also the chairperson of the board of directors of SAHA Istanbul, highlighted the rapid growth of the defense industry expo, which has expanded to 90,000 square meters from 10,000 square meters at its inception.
"This year, 1,478 companies participated, with 766 international companies and 712 domestic firms,” Bayraktar noted, underscoring the event’s rising global influence.
During the expo, major agreements were finalized, including export contracts valued at $6.2 billion, Bayraktar said.
"In total, 123 signing ceremonies were held,” he added, marking a record-breaking achievement for the Turkish defense sector.
Bayraktar noted that Türkiye’s defense exports reached $5.5 billion last year and pointed to a significant surge in artillery ammunition production, particularly driven by the private sector.
ARCA, the main sponsor of SAHA EXPO 2024, signed an export deal exceeding $2 billion, he said.
"ARCA as a single firm now produces more artillery shells in one month than the total produced in the entire American continent, in Türkiye's Çorum,” Bayraktar added.
"There are contracts signed by the Presidency of Defense Industries. As Baykar, we have a contract signed with our sub-suppliers and Aselsan regarding cameras. A contract was signed with TÜBITAK and Roketsan," he said, referring to the scope of deals signed within the fair.
The SAHA defense exhibition, one of Türkiye's top defense events, saw the signing of dozens of agreements between foreign and domestic companies and institutions in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.
The five-day event began Tuesday and exhibited cutting-edge land, air and naval defense systems, products and software.
Among the deals signed was an agreement for an engine project between Baykar and TAI's Engine Industries (TEI). Baykar also signed deals with domestic and foreign firms Ordulu, Orqa from Croatia, and the Edge Group from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Roketsan and Havelsan signed a framework agreement for installing an electronic security system, and Roketsan and Tualcom signed a framework agreement for procuring communications systems.
Moreover, a pact was signed between Turkish defense firm STM and Aspilsan to develop batteries for mini UAV systems.
