Baykar Bayraktar Akinci

Lore & Background

The Bayraktar Akıncı was unveiled to the public during the Teknofest Aviation, Space and Technology Festival in September 2019, following initial images in June 2018. Its preliminary design phase was completed in June 2019, and it made its maiden flight on 6 December 2019 with automatic taxiing, take-off, a 16-minute flight, and successful landing. The aircraft is equipped with two turboprop engines of varying power (450 hp, 750 hp, or 850 hp), electronic support and ECM systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and advanced synthetic-aperture radar. It also features an indigenously manufactured AESA radar called MURAD, a SAR/GMTI radar, surveillance system, electronic warfare, signal intelligence suite, SATCOM, and ISTAR+C3.

On 22 April 2021, the Akıncı conducted its first firing tests, using three variants of the MAM-L smart munitions and debuting the ROKETSAN MAM-T smart munition. From 6-7 July 2021, it completed a test flight of 25 hours and 45 minutes, flying 7,507 km and reaching an altitude of 38,039 ft. The first three units entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces on 29 August 2021. The Akıncı has been used in combat, including Pençe-Kilit operations in northern Iraq, and played a role in the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake response, flying over 1,551 hours. It also assisted in finding the site of the 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash that killed Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi.

Reader's Guide

The Bayraktar Akıncı represents a significant advancement in unmanned combat aerial vehicle technology, particularly as the first UAV capable of launching a cruise missile. Its development timeline, from preliminary design in June 2019 to first deliveries in August 2021, demonstrates rapid progress. The aircraft's operational history includes diverse roles: counter-terrorism operations in northern Iraq, disaster response during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, and search-and-rescue support for the 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash. The Akıncı has also been involved in international incidents, including losses in Libya, Iraq, Mali, and Yemen, as well as air-to-air combat in Sudan where Sudanese Armed Forces' Akıncıs reportedly shot down nearly 10 Chinese-made drones. The article notes that a Sudanese Air Force Akıncı shot down another Akıncı over North Kordofan using a Roketsan EREN air-to-air missile, with disputed claims about the downed drone's ownership. The Akıncı's export agreements began in January 2022, and variants include the B version with twin 750 hp engines and the C variant with two 850 hp engines, the latter first flying on 24 February 2024.

Did You Know?

• The Bayraktar Akıncı set a Turkish national flight altitude record of 38,039 feet on 7 July 2021.
• On 10 July 2021, it carried the NEB bunker buster bomb, the heaviest bomb ever carried by a UCAV.
• A Sudanese Air Force Akıncı shot down another Akıncı using a Roketsan EREN air-to-air missile on 17 March 2026.