The Bayraktar TB2 have been used in other conflicts, but this is the first time they have come into play against modern defense systems.
If it weren’t for its destructive power, the Bayraktar TB2 could be called good, pretty, and cheap. It is what in military jargon is called a UCAV, an acronym for ‘unmanned combat aerial vehicle’. In plain language, a drone. Turkish-made, this device has become, during the first week of the Russian invasion, one of the most important weapons for the defense of Ukraine.
Their small size –12 meters wingspan and 6.5 meters long– makes it difficult for them to be hit by enemy artillery. And we must add that they are very quiet. With these two factors in their favor, it is not surprising that these devices have caused significant damage in the enemy ranks.
Sample of their destructive power and how they act are the images published by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Hovering over a military convoy with supplies and weapons, the Bayraktar’s thermal cameras make it possible to distinguish even the soldiers walking between the vehicles. A few moments to aim and then the explosion, the bodies of the troops on the ground and the chaos. Its potential had been tested in other conflicts, such as those in Nagorno-Karabakh or Libya, but not in a war in which the enemy possessed defense methods as advanced as the Russians.
The Bayraktar TB2 is single-engined, easily distinguishable in daylight by its distinctive triangular tail fin. Each one has six aerial vehicles, two control stations, three data terminals and a ground team, as well as two remote video terminals. With an autonomy of 24 hours, they reach a maximum speed of 220 kilometers per hour and are capable of launching different types of missiles and laser-guided rockets.
They are the star of the Turkish company that gives them their name, founded in 1984 by the engineer Özdemir Bayraktar, who died last year. His sons Haluk and Selçuk, who have been married since 2016 to Sümeyye Erdogan, daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have taken over at the helm of the company. Far from being anecdotal, this data reflects the possible geopolitical implications of the sale of this weapon by Turkey to Ukraine. Relations between Ankara and Moscow are not bad, but more such transactions could raise suspicions in the Kremlin.
no concrete figures
It is not known exactly how many units the Ukrainian side owns, although it is confirmed that in 2019 Kiev bought twelve. A few days ago, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced that more had arrived and were “ready in combat positions.” Last December the country now invaded by Russia boasted that Turkey had more than 20 Bayraktar prepared for them.
Everything indicates that, in view of their good results and their low cost – around 4.5 million euros per unit, compared to the 108 million that an F-5 fighter costs – many governments will be interested in these drones. Currently, in addition to Turkey and Ukraine, they are owned by Qatar, Poland, Azerbaijan, Libya, Turkmenistan and Morocco.
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