TSAMTO, January 25. According to the Daily Sabah newspaper, the Turkish company Baykar Defense recently signed the first export contract for the supply of a new long-duration reconnaissance and strike UAV (HALE class) "Akinci".
At the same time, it is noted that the Turkish defense industry has significantly increased its export performance in recent years and within five years intends to enter the top ten suppliers of VIVT in the world.
The customer of the UAV and the cost of the sale are not disclosed. As planned, within the framework of the agreement, the company will supply UAVs and corresponding ground systems in 2023.
Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Association of Defense and Aerospace Companies (SAHA Istanbul) and CEO of Baykar Defense Haluk Bayraktar, assessing the results of the sector in 2021, stressed that the biggest success is the increase in exports of products.
Turkey's defense and aerospace industry broke a record last year. Its figure in 2021 for the first time exceeded $ 3 billion. Exports amounted to $3.22 billion (43.3 billion Turkish lira).
The products developed by the Turkish defense industry, including armored vehicles, aircraft, sea platforms, ammunition, UAVs, are exported to 169 countries of the world, including NATO and European Union countries.
The volume of exports in the defense and aerospace sector of Turkey increased approximately sevenfold in dollar terms from 2006 to 2021. Currently, Turkey's share in global defense and aerospace exports is about 1% (according to the CAMTO, over the last 4-year period 2018-2021, Turkey's share was 1.33%, with this indicator Ankara ranked 13th in the world). The main goal of the sector is to increase its market share in the next 5 years and become one of the world's top 10 exporters of PVN.
H.Bayraktar also said that export contracts for the supply of the Bayraktar TB2 UAV were signed with 16 countries around the world. The total flight time of the delivered UAVs was 420 thousand hours.
Thanks to export revenues, Baykar receives resources for the development of platforms such as the promising MIUS combat UAV and the Bayraktar TB3.
As reported by TSAMTO, the Executive Committee of the Turkish Defense Industry selected Baykar as the contractor for the development of the Akinci UAV in January 2018. Flight tests of the first prototype began on December 6, 2019.
The official ceremony of delivery of the first Akinci UAV to the Turkish Armed Forces took place at the Chorlu Airbase on August 29, 2021.
According to Baykar, the maximum take-off weight of the Akinci UAV equipped with two turboprop engines is 5,500 kg, wingspan is 20 m, height is 4.1 m, length is 12.3 m. It is expected that it will be able to perform tasks at altitudes up to 40,000 feet (12,192 m) within 24 hours.
According to the Directorate of Defense Industry of Turkey (SSB), the Akinci can carry an internal and external payload weighing up to 450 kg and 900 kg, respectively.
