In the Ukraine war, Russia attacks Ukrainian cities with Iranian drones. The Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar wants to shoot them down in the air.
Munich — Drones are used on both sides of the Ukraine war. While Russia uses Iranian kamikaze drones, Ukraine mainly relies on drones from the USA and Turkey. The armed Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone plays a particularly central role in this. Kyiv is enthusiastic about the gun. With the use of this drone, Kyiv was able to recapture Snake Island, for example.
The manufacturer Baykar now not only wants to fight targets on the ground, but also plans to take action against Iranian drones in the air. According to Baykar boss Haluk Bayraktar, the drone could be equipped with air-to-air missiles for this purpose. Tests are already underway for the project. However, experts are cautious about the proposal.
Ukraine war: dogfight between Turkish and Iranian drones? — Manufacturer Baykar with proposal
For defense against Iranian drones, Ukraine is repeatedly demanding air defense systems. However, drone manufacturer Baykar approached the country with an unusual and unexpected proposal. At the defense fair “SAHA Expo” in Istanbul, Baykar boss Haluk Bayraktar said according to the English-language Internet newspaper Daily Sabah: “Soon our Bayraktar-TB2 and Akinci drones will be equipped with air-to-air missiles and thus target not only drones but also other enemy aircraft.”
The Akinci is a Baykar-developed heavy armed drone capable of carrying six missiles in various configurations at once and taking off with a payload of approximately 1.5 tons. Apparently Baykar wants to equip its drones with the “Sungur” missiles from the Turkish manufacturer Roketsan. An agreement was signed between Baykar and Roketsan for the project during the defense fair. “Using our drones as an air-to-air missile will be a game changer,” Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci said loudly Daily Sabah.
“In any case, you have to be prepared to take countermeasures,” emphasized Baykar boss Bayraktar, referring to Iranian kamikaze drones in Ukraine. These are “slow, loud and low-flying”, which is why they are “easy targets”. Bayraktar underlined: “We absolutely support the sovereignty of Ukraine.” Baykar had previously rejected the possible delivery of drones to Russia.
War in Ukraine: Baykar proposal causes skepticism among experts – “no long-term solution”
However, experts are skeptical about Baykar’s proposal. They doubt whether this is actually an optimal and cost-effective solution. Samuel Bendett, an expert at the American Center for Naval Analyzes, emphasized that such an approach must be cheaper than the Iranian kamikaze drones themselves. “So if these missiles are cheaper than $20,000 then it might make sense, but maybe only in a limited geographical area,” he told the magazine forbes.
In addition, Russian troops would use the Iranian “Shahed” drones from several locations. “So would it make sense to have TB2 and Akinci drones in the air all the time looking for Shaheds?” asked Bendett. The cost of using Turkish drones against Iranian ones could exceed the price of the weapons from Tehran itself, he warned.
James Rogers, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark’s Center for War Studies, agreed forbes pointed out that Baykar’s proposal was not a “long-term solution”. Admittedly, this could work for a limited period of time in a limited area such as Kyiv. But even there, the intensity of the attacks could overwhelm the Bayraktar drones. In addition, hundreds of systems would have to be permanently active at hundreds of locations. Rogers generally criticized the western “neglect” of air defense systems. A quick solution in this area, for example by arming drones accordingly, is not easy. (bb)
#Drone #Showdown #Turkish #manufacturer #fight #Iranian #weapons