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| Bayraktar TB-2 Drones |
International Military - The success of the Bayraktar TB2 drone made the world pay attention to it as an efficient weapon today. With the success of successfully destroying the Russian artillery system, this drone then succeeded in attracting customers.
According to Selcuk Bayraktar, CTO of Baykar, the Bayraktar TB2 drone is indeed effective in proving its effectiveness on the battlefield. "The Bayraktar TB-2 did what it was supposed to do bringing out some of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and armored vehicles," Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar's Chief Technology Officer, told Reuters. "The whole world is a customer," he added.
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As is well known, TB2 has played an important role in the Ukrainian military resistance against Russian troops. According to the Eurasian Times, even social media has been engulfed in videos showing Russian tanks, air defense systems, helicopters, supply trucks and trains being destroyed by TB-2 strikes or TB2-assisted artillery strikes.
"This is an illegal invasion, so TB2 is helping the honorable people of Ukraine defend their country," Bayraktar said. Not only Russia, this drone has also proven its effectiveness on the Azerbaijani battlefield.
Bayraktar, who believes in the Turkish-speaking 'One Nation-Two State' concept of Turkey and Azerbaijan, said he was proud of the fact that the TB2 drone had been used to allow Azerbaijan to retake the disputed territory.
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The territory was Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under Armenian control at the end of 2020. Azerbaijan's fleet of TB2 drones obliterated a large number of Armenian tanks, fighting vehicles, artillery and air defense units, thus ensuring the victory of Baku. "The illegal occupation of Karabakh is like a wound from our youth.
And as engineers developing technology, it is an honor to help our brothers and sisters here [in Azerbaijan] get their land back," he said. Not only is it a popular success, in fact TB2 is also wanted by many countries in the world.
As is Niger, which just took delivery of six Bayraktar TB2 drones last month. Apparently, this drone was also part of the arms deal signed with Ankara which was signed in November last year.
Among other TB2 drone buyers include Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Qatar, etc. A total of 19 countries, including NATO member Poland are said to have acquired TB2 Bayraktar so far.
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Quoted from Army Technology, the Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude and long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system (MALE). This drone is manufactured by Baykar Makina for the Turkish Armed Forces.
The Bayraktar TB2 reached the milestone of 200,000 operational flight hours in June 2020. Finally, the TB2 became the first domestically-made air vehicle in Turkey to achieve this feat.
The Bayraktar TB2 features a monocoque design that integrates an inverted v-tail structure. The fuselage is made of carbon fiber, Kevlar and hybrid composites, while the joint segments are precision computer numerical control (CNC) machined aluminum parts.
Meanwhile, the engine is positioned between the tail boom and fuel is stored in the bladder tank. Each Bayraktar TB2 system consists of six aerial vehicles, two ground control stations (GCS), three ground data terminals (GDT), two remote video terminals (RVT), and ground support equipment.
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In terms of specifications, this UAV has a length of 6.5m, a wingspan of 12m and a maximum takeoff weight of 650kg. The Bayraktar TB2 is designed for short range reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
The UAV is also equipped with a triple redundant avionics system. The onboard avionics suite includes units, including microcontroller, engine control, servo motor power control, engine signal processing, and I/O receiver and GPS.
It also features a Pitot static sensor, a laser altimeter and an alpha beta sensor module, as well as speed, temperature and fuel level sensors. The Bayraktar TB2 UAV has the capacity to carry a payload of 150kg and operates both day and night.