Turkey will soon begin mass production of the domestically made Akıncı, a state-of-the-art unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), manufacturing company Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Selçuk Bayraktar said Thursday.
Speaking on a live broadcast of CNN Türk, Bayraktar said they will soon begin mass production of the UCAV, which is expected to enter the Turkish security forces’ inventory this year.
The cutting-edge drone’s second prototype most recently passed the 20,000-foot (6,096-meter) altitude test on Aug. 20.
The drone can fly for 24 hours and has a service ceiling of 40,000 feet, a 20-meter wingspan and the capacity to carry a load of 1,350 kilograms (2,976 pounds).
Akıncı is equipped with the locally made active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and air-to-air missiles Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan, and can launch several types of locally made ammo, such as standoff missiles (SOM).
News regarding the UCAV’s entry into the inventory as well as its mass production has been closely followed by defense enthusiasts both in Turkey and abroad, thanks to the local drone magnate’s proven success with other locally made drones like Bayraktar TB2. This particular drone earned worldwide fame after it was operated in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan, paving the way for more export deals for Baykar.
