For many years, only the USA, Israel and Great Britain used armed drones. Now Turkey is ahead in the everyday use and sale of the weapons.
Last week, the government in Ankara
transferred an armed drone to Northern Cyprus. This makes Turkey one of those countries whose military is stationing drones outside its territory. The
„Bayraktar TB2“ had landed at the Geçitkale military airport near Famagusta after a five-hour flight from a Turkish air base in Dalaman. This was preceded by a permit from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. According to the Turkish government, unarmed drones were also flown to Famagusta for reconnaissance, and
according to Turkish newspapers, more will follow.
The „Bayraktar TB2“ is intended to secure Turkish gas drillings off the island, which has been divided since 1974, and to exert pressure on Cyprus and Greece, which are claiming gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean. The move is also likely to be directed against Israel after the Turkish navy
intercepted an Israeli research vessel recently. Turkish Transportation Minister Tolga Atakan described the deployment as a reaction to the purchase of Israeli drones by Cyprus. To monitor its exclusive economic zone, the government in Nicosia had purchased four
„Aerostar“ drones from the company Aeronautics
for 13 million euros in October. With a take-off weight of 230 kilograms, they are significantly lighter than the „Bayraktar TB2“, but with a payload of 50 kilograms they carry a similar payload. Both drones have a range of around 200 kilometres.
„Bayraktar TB2“ and „Anka“
Manufacturer of the „Bayraktar TB2“ is the company Baykar. It belongs to the MIT graduate Selçuk Bayraktar, who married into the family of the president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan three years ago. Bayraktar is revered as the godfather of the Turkish drone industry. Meanwhile, his unarmed „TB2“ is flown by local police and border authorities, secret services and the military.
The „Baraktar TB2“ in the factory of the manufacturer (
Bayhaluk, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Since 2017, the military stock of „Bayraktar TB2“ is said to have doubled to almost one hundred units, about half of which are armed. Also the „Anka“, the smaller competitor „Bayraktar TB2“, which is also weaponizable, is presumably flown by the military in a number of about 30 pieces.
https://digit.site36.net/2019/12/21/drone-power-turkey/
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