Baykar Bayraktar TB2

Lore & Background

The development of the Bayraktar TB2 was spurred by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey due to concerns they would be used against PKK groups. Baykar began developing the system at the request of the Presidency of Defense Industries after experiences with its first tactical UAV, the Bayraktar Çaldıran (TB1), delivered in 2011. The TB2 made its maiden flight in August 2014, and a test firing of a missile from the platform was published on 18 December 2015, resulting from collaboration with Roketsan. The aircraft previously relied on imported components such as Rotax 912 engines from Austria and FLIR sensors from Wescam (Canada) or Hensoldt (Germany). Bombardier Recreational Products suspended engine deliveries in October 2020 after learning of military use. The arming of the TB2 involved a UK Hornet bomb rack from EDO MBM Technology, though Baykar CTO Selçuk Bayraktar denied purchasing it, claiming a more advanced domestic version was designed. UK export records showed 16 of 18 license applications for Hornet bomb rack exports to Turkey between 2014 and 2020 were granted. In October 2020, the drone's use of the Canadian Wescam MX-15D system was disclosed after Armenian officials claimed remains were recovered from a downed TB2, triggering a Canadian export suspension. Turkish industry responded with domestic alternatives including the TM100 and TEI-PD170 engines, and the Aselsan CATS FLIR system. The initial CATS turret faced weight issues (61 kg vs. 45 kg for the Wescam), leading to the development of the lighter Aselsan ASELFLIR-500 (52 kg), which has been integrated into the TB2 and exported to over 20 countries.

Reader's Guide

The Bayraktar TB2 played a fundamental role in Turkey's development of a new military tactic and initiated a wave of change in modern military doctrines. It was accepted as the initiator of a new method of war by many military analysts and strategists, including political scientist Francis Fukuyama. Turkey has used the drone extensively in strikes on PKK and YPG targets in Iraq and Syria. Bayraktar drones were later deployed by other nations in various wars, such as by Azerbaijan in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, by Ukraine during the Russian invasion, and by Ethiopia during the Tigray war. By December 2024, the TB2 had completed 1 million flight hours globally. Baykar has a production capacity of 250 TB2s per year and aims to increase to 500. New production lines are planned at Baykar's Italy-based subsidiary Piaggio Aerospace and through the joint venture LBA Systems (Baykar and Leonardo), alongside the Bayraktar TB3, Akıncı, and Kızılelma. The aircraft's design features a blended wing body with an inverted V-tail, a pusher propeller, and a modular monocoque structure of carbon fiber and aluminum. Its ground control station is a NATO-spec shelter supporting three personnel with cross-redundant systems. Each TB2 configuration includes six aerial platforms, two ground control stations, three ground data terminals, and two remote video terminals. The flight control system is triple-redundant with autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, and parking capability.

Did You Know?

• The drone's development was spurred by a U.S. ban on armed UAV exports to Turkey.
• The Aselsan ASELFLIR-500 system, a domestic alternative to the Canadian Wescam MX-15D, has been exported to over 20 countries including NATO members.