Turkish-made drones ace test flights in Ukraine
AA Photo


Turkish-made Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2) UAVs drone systems have successfully passed testing flights in Ukraine.

"We quickly got Bayraktar up in the air and started combat training," officials said.

In a written statement the Ukrainian defense ministry said that Bayraktar TB2 UAVs were recently used by the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that in the developments in Syria, especially in the attacks against Bashar Assad’s army, Turkish UAV’s were very effective.

The test flights of the Turkish TB2 drone systems, which were purchased by Ukraine and delivered some time ago, were carried out successfully.

Turkish UAV manufacturer Baykar produced six Bayraktar TB2s and delivered them to Ukraine.

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed an agreement on the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2) UAVs for the Ukrainian army in January 2019.

The agreement was signed between the Ukrspetsproject company, which is part of Ukrboronprom and Baykar Makina.

The Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, produced by Baykar and in operation since 2015, have continued to support the fight against terror in other regions while providing effective surveillance, reconnaissance and fire support to the security forces in Turkey's Operations Euphrates and Olive Branch. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs have played an active role in detecting, diagnosing and neutralizing thousands of terrorists to date.

The domestically developed drone is the first and only armed UAV to be included in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) inventory.

The drones were developed and produced locally. With its advanced electronics, software, aerodynamic design, submarine systems, as well as flight automation and performance, the Bayraktar TB2 stands out as one of the most advanced UAV systems in its class.

Performing active reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence flights, the Bayraktar TB2 has the ability to transmit images to operation centers without delay and engage targets.

It boasts a service ceiling of 8,239 meters (27,030 feet) and a flight endurance of 24 hours. It can carry 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of payload and can be operated day and night.