The drone production capacity within the Turkish defense industry has reached a stage where it can be expressed in the hundreds of thousands, thanks to new investments, according to a report on Monday.
Drones, which have started to take a central place in modern battlefield doctrines and have become a crucial element in overcoming air defense systems, are also among the key agenda items for the growing Turkish defense industry.
Drone manufacturer Skydagger, supported by Baykar, renowned worldwide for its Bayraktar TB2 drones and Kızılelma jet, began operating in 2024 with the production of FPV (first-person view) kamikaze drones designed to be operated through goggles or a screen, giving the user the feeling of flying inside the drone.
Developing a product family with solutions in different sizes, Skydagger has quickly achieved a significant production capacity through the investments it has implemented in a short period.
Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar announced that Skydagger "has reached an annual production capacity of 120,000 drones at its production line."
"From the electric motor to the flight control computer, from the FPV body to the battery, from video communication to the warhead, every component is local, national, and original," he stated in a post on X on Sunday.
Skydagger has recently added the Skydagger 15 Plus and the Skydagger Mini to its lineup of kamikaze FPV drones in sizes of 7 (17.78 centimeters), 10, and 15 inches. With these new additions, Skydagger’s product family has expanded further, now including both the largest and smallest FPV drones in its lineup.
The Skydagger 15 Plus is capable of carrying 10 kilograms (22.05 pounds) of munitions. Meanwhile, the Skydagger Mini was developed primarily for urban operations and carries a 0.5-kilogram anti-personnel warhead.
To overcome potential production limitations and meet the high production volumes required for mass drone manufacturing, Skydagger places importance on localizing subcomponents. In this context, it either manufactures or sources locally various components such as the munition, battery, fiber optic systems, trigger box that smartens the munition, detonator board, and AI system.
Having increased the localization rate of its products to over 80%, Skydagger aims to reach 100% localization this year, a report by Anadolu Agency (AA) said.
The Skydagger drones deployed for use in Türkiye were also exported to 14 countries last year. Skydagger has delivered approximately 30,000 drones to users abroad, the AA report said.
The key to Skydagger’s success lies in offering integrated weapon systems with its platforms. Within this framework, smart systems are developed that enable communication between the drone and its munition. In addition, activating the three-stage safety system and preparing the ammunition elevates the safety requirements, which are among the most critical aspects for kamikaze drones, to the highest level.
Smart munitions and systems operate using continuous frequency hopping within a wide-range dual-band spectrum, making it possible to function without being affected by jammers. All these features make the products increasingly preferred.
In addition, Skydagger supports its products through user training and training of educators, also leveraging online simulations during this process. Within about two weeks, personnel are brought up to the level where they can perform live fire exercises.