Turkey's first national UAV, Bayraktar TB2, has surpassed 1 million flight hours.

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Turkey's first national UAV, Bayraktar TB2, has become the first national aircraft to successfully complete 1 million flight hours. Adding another record to its achievements, the national UAV has once again left its mark on Turkish aviation history by breaking a challenging record.

Bayraktar TB2 UAV (Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), which has set precedents in Turkish aviation history, has successfully completed 1 million flight hours, marking another significant milestone. Thus, since it entered the inventory in 2014, Bayraktar TB2 UAV has become the first and only national aircraft to operate for over 1 million hours in the sky over a span of 10 years.

TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD 3,742 TIMES

As the world's largest UAV company, Baykar has surpassed its American, Israeli, and Chinese competitors, positioning Turkey to hold 65% of the global UAV market thanks to its export success. The Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which played a significant role in this success, covered approximately 150 million kilometers during their 1 million hours of flight time. During this long journey in the sky, national UAVs reached a distance equivalent to circling the Earth's circumference of 40,075 kilometers a total of 3,742 times.

LED TURKEY TO GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

With the success of the national UAV Bayraktar TB2 in conflict zones such as Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine, Turkey has reached a leading position in the global UAV market. As of 2021, Turkey became the world's largest supplier in UAV exports, surpassing the USA, Israel, and China. Bayraktar TB2 has become the preferred choice of many countries around the world due to its high technology, cost-effectiveness, fast delivery process, and proven effectiveness in the field. According to a report by the US-based think tank CNAS (Center for a New American Security), Turkey achieved great success by accounting for 65% of global UAV exports. Turkey's innovative production approach has strengthened its position as a leading actor in military, strategic diplomacy, and international security balances.

EXPORT CHAMPION

Baykar, which has carried out all its projects with its own resources since the beginning, has obtained 83% of its total revenue from exports since the start of its UAV R&D process in 2003. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among the top 10 companies with the highest exports in all sectors in our country. Baykar, which received the Export Champions Award, became the export leader in the defense and aviation sector according to the data from the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In recent years, Baykar has obtained more than 90% of its revenue from exports, and in 2023, it alone accounted for one-third of the exports in the defense and aviation sector. Currently, 97.5% of the contracts signed by Baykar, the world's largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, are export-related.

IN THE SKIES OF NATO AND EU COUNTRIES

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs are entering the inventories of countries as a result of a competitive process in many locations around the world. In 2023, Bayraktar TB2 UAV won the competitive process conducted by the Kuwait Ministry of Defense. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs won in demo activities, surpassing American, European, and Chinese competitors. Thus, Baykar signed an important export contract with the Kuwait Ministry of Defense. On the other hand, the regions where national UAVs operate continue to increase. As of November 2024, with the export to Croatia signed on November 19, 2024, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs have entered the inventories of 6 NATO member countries and 4 EU member countries.

ENTERED THE INVENTORY IN 2014

Developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, which produces Turkey's national UAV systems, the Bayraktar TB2 UAV is considered the best in its class based on its technical features and the operations it has participated in. It entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2014. The unmanned aerial vehicle, which was armed in 2015, is currently operationally used by the TSK, the General Command of Gendarmerie, the General Directorate of Security, and MIT. Since 2014, Bayraktar TB2 UAV has been actively involved in counter-terrorism operations both domestically and across borders by security forces.

A WORLD FIRST: AUTONOMOUS BARREL ROLL

On May 31, 2024, Bayraktar TB2 made its mark in aviation history once again with its autonomous barrel roll maneuver, which it executed by following a spiral trajectory and completing a full turn around its axis. Bayraktar TB2 UAV successfully completed the autonomous barrel roll maneuver three times, which is one of the most important escape maneuvers of fighter jets. Bayraktar TB2, the first and only UAV in the world to successfully perform this maneuver, demonstrated how advanced its autonomy and aerodynamic capabilities are.

RECORD LEVEL OF DOMESTICITY RATE

Since the early 2000s, Baykar has been developing the most value-added software and hardware systems in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles with a team of Turkish engineers. Baykar is recognized as one of the leading technology companies in the world in its field with its engineering power in 15 different disciplines. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, whose all critical components, designs, and software are developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, are produced with a record level of 93% domestic industry participation at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center.

HOLDER OF RECORDS

Bayraktar TB2 UAV set a record by flying continuously for 27 hours and 3 minutes under challenging geographical and climatic conditions, such as high temperatures and sandstorms, during a demo flight in Kuwait on July 16, 2019.

National UAVs continue to operate under all adverse weather conditions such as desert heat, freezing cold, snow, and storms, encountered in many different regions of the world from Europe to Africa. The national UAV, which broke the Turkish altitude record with a flight time of 27 hours and 3 minutes in the tactical class and an altitude of 27,030 feet, has entered Turkish aviation history with a difficult record of over 1 million flight hours. The national UAV also holds the title of the aircraft that has successfully served Turkey for the longest time.

MADE ITS MARK ON OPERATION OLIVE BRANCH

The national UAV Bayraktar TB2 played an active role in the operations carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) both within and beyond the borders, including the operations of Hendek, Euphrates Shield, and Olive Branch. Defense experts stated that one of the most important factors in the operations ending much sooner than expected and experiencing fewer casualties was the national UAVs. Bayraktar TB2 UAV systems carried out more than 90% of all flights conducted during the Olive Branch Operation in Afrin, marking a significant impact on the operation with 5,300 flight hours.

WATCHING THE BLUE HOMELAND

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which have participated in many operations against terrorist organizations such as Claw and Sword, continue to play an important role in operations against the so-called leaders of the separatist terrorist organization. In addition to these missions, national UAVs are also involved in the protection of the Blue Homeland. In this context, they provided aerial escort for our drilling ships conducting search activities in the Eastern Mediterranean for security. On December 16, 2019, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs made a historic flight by taking off from Dalaman Naval Air Base to land at Geçitkale Airport, to be deployed for similar missions in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

ACTIVE IN EARTHQUAKES

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs contribute significantly by operating in earthquake situations. After the 6.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Elazığ Sivrice on January 24, 2020, they quickly moved to the region and began transmitting real-time images and information to crisis command centers in Ankara and the affected provinces from the 25th minute onwards. During the earthquakes on February 6, 2023, which were described as the disaster of the century, they flew for 2,417 hours and 6 minutes. In this context, a total of 42 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, 8 of which were equipped with Baykar Rapid Mapping Pods, participated in the operations. In addition to providing aerial support for search and rescue efforts, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs also worked to control the intense vehicle traffic that emerged after the earthquake and ensure that aid reached its destination without interruption.

PLAYING A ROLE IN RESCUING MIGRANTS

Bayraktar TB2s contribute significantly to documenting human rights violations such as pushbacks, which remain on the world agenda, by monitoring irregular migration movements in the Aegean and Mediterranean from the sky, helping to save many irregular migrants' lives.

FOUND A LOST TOURIST IN ULUDAG

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs are also actively involved in search and rescue operations conducted in nature. On December 31, 2021, they played a role in finding Yusuf Sepehizade, a Danish national who went hiking in Bursa Uludağ and went missing due to deteriorating weather conditions. The location of the Danish tourist, who could not be found by teams in the area due to harsh weather conditions, was identified by a Bayraktar TB2 UAV belonging to the Gendarmerie General Command, which took off from Aydın. After the lost tourist was located from the sky, he was rescued by the teams in the area.

DETECTING FOREST FIRES

In addition to security and humanitarian aid missions, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs play an important role in combating forest fires. In cooperation with the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), Bayraktar TB2 UAVs have been actively involved in the early detection of forest fires and the efficient management of extinguishing efforts since 2020. A total of 4,091 forest fires have been detected by Bayraktar TB2 since 2020. Thus, for the first time in Europe, high-tech UAVs have been used in the fight against forest fires. Turkey's pioneering and innovative solution in combating forest fires has continued to grow since 2020. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, stationed at centers determined by OGM, operate under the coordination of Baykar's expert team. With the advanced software and technological infrastructure established by Baykar at OGM's fire management center in Ankara, Bayraktar TB2s can scan an area of 400 km in a single flight and detect fires up to 185 kilometers away in their initial stages. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs detected 345 fires in 2020, 267 in 2021, 1,109 in 2022, 1,445 in 2023, and 924 in 2024, playing an active role in extinguishing forest fires. As a result, the initial response time to forest fires in our country has decreased from 45 minutes to 11 minutes.

AWAKENED ADMIRATION WORLDWIDE

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which significantly contributed to the success of the Turkish Armed Forces by greatly enhancing their reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities during the Peace Spring Operation, also successfully destroyed many targets throughout the operation. In the Spring Shield Operation, they destroyed many armored vehicles, howitzers, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and air defense systems by flying in formations for the first time. Bayraktar TB2 UAVs carried out 80% of all sorties conducted by the aircraft participating in the Spring Shield Operation, where UAVs were used as the primary element on the battlefield for the first time in world combat history. Despite all kinds of electronic warfare, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs successfully operated during the operation conducted in the Idlib region of Syria, flying for over 2,000 hours. The fact that Bayraktar TB2 UAVs flew in formations for the first time in world combat history and played an active role in the operation received significant attention in the world press.

PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE LIBERATION OF KARABAKH

Bayraktar TB2 UAVs played an important role in ending the nearly 30-year occupation of Karabakh by the brotherly country Azerbaijan. On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was under Armenian occupation. 44 days after the start of the operation, on November 10, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army took control of Nagorno-Karabakh, ending Armenia's occupation. During the operation against Armenia, the Azerbaijani Army used Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which were developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, across the entire front line. According to studies confirmed by defense analysts, many air defense systems, radar systems, tanks, armored vehicles, trucks, ammunition depots, positions, and units belonging to the Armenian Army were destroyed by Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. This remarkable success of the Azerbaijani Army, which impressed the world, led to comments by global media and defense experts that Turkish UAVs have changed the course of military history and have become a game-changing power.

CHILDREN IN UKRAINE NAMED 'BAYRAKTAR'

With its outstanding success in the Ukraine-Russia war that began in February 2022, the Bayraktar TB2 UAV has become a hero in the eyes of the Ukrainian people. It changed the balance as a force multiplier in the war. A radio station called "Bayraktar Radio" started broadcasting in Kiev, dedicated to the armed unmanned aerial vehicle for which songs were composed and toys were made. Even newborn boys were named "Bayraktar." In addition to its impact on the battlefield, the Bayraktar TB2 has now become a symbol of hope in Ukraine. This success in Ukraine demonstrated the effectiveness of the Bayraktar TB2 and showed the world that it is the best in its class.

ORGANIZED AID CAMPAIGN IN 7 COUNTRIES

In Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Norway, Spain, and Canada, public aid campaigns were organized to purchase Bayraktar TB2s and donate them to the Ukrainian Army. Baykar, which gifted the Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, also donated the collected aid to meet the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people.