Developed by Turkey's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designer Baykar Makina, six new Bayraktar combat drones were delivered to the gendarmerie following successful test flights seven months ahead of schedule.
Baykar Makina's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Selçuk Bayraktar announced the delivery on his social media account.
"Following successful test flights, six Bayraktar armed UAVs have been delivered to General Commandership of Gendarmerie seven months before the scheduled deadline," Bayraktar said in his tweet.
In March, the Turkish Army reinforced its air support capability with eight new, locally-developed and produced Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, delivered by Baykar Makina. Up to 15 UAVs and armed drones currently serve in the Turkish military. Bayraktar TB2 is currently the first and only armed UAV to be included in the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) inventory.
The Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, produced by Baykar and operational since 2015, have continued to support the fight against terror in other regions while providing effective surveillance, reconnaissance and fire support to security forces during Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch in Syria.
The Bayraktar TB2, which is developed and produced domestically and originally with electronic, software, aerodynamic, design and sub-main systems, stands out as the world's most advanced UAV system in its class with its flight automation and performance.
The combat drones used the Smart Micro Munition MAM-L, developed by ROKETSAN. For the first time, they were deployed in Operation Olive Branch loaded with 4 MAM-Ls.
MAM-L's armor-piercing, thermobaric-headed munitions were first used in Operation Olive Branch. In addition, MAM-L's with antipersonnel warheads were also used in a way to blast in the air. With warheads used according to the target type, many successful missions were carried out against possible targets such as light structures, armored land vehicles, radar antennas and weapon emplacement.
With a weight lower than 50 pounds and a height shorter than 1 meter, MAM-L was developed for UAVs in all sizes, as well as for the use in light offense aircraft and for air-to-ground tasks where weight is critical. The MAM-L has a high pulse sensitivity with a laser seeker head.
Baykar Makina had signed an agreement to export six armed unmanned aerial vehicles to Qatar's armed forces in March.
Under the agreement, six Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV Platforms, three ground control station systems and equipment, and a UAV training simulator will be delivered within a year.
Baykar will also set up a UAV operation center and network-based data tracing and archiving software for Qatar's military forces. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018).