ISTANBUL
Turkish defense company Baykar’s nationally developed Bayraktar AKINCI Tactical Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (TIHA) has successfully surpassed 100,000 flight hours.
According to a statement from Baykar, the Bayraktar AKINCI TIHA, developed under the leadership of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries, has achieved a significant milestone in Turkish aviation history.
With export agreements signed with 11 countries, the Bayraktar AKINCI TIHA continues to carry out missions in various regions worldwide.
The Bayraktar AKINCI TIHA played a critical role in the search and rescue operation following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation on May 19, 2024.
The critical operation was followed live by hundreds of thousands worldwide and received widespread attention.
A milestone in aviation history
Bayraktar AKINCI has participated in groundbreaking flights. On April 24, 2023, a world-first close formation flight took place between Bayraktar AKINCI and Bayraktar KIZILELMA during a test in Corlu. Later, at TEKNOFEST 2023, both unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) performed demonstration flights over Istanbul.
In 2022, Bayraktar AKINCI also performed formation flights with the MIG-29 fighter jet at TEKNOFEST in Azerbaijan, alongside SOLOTÜRK, Hurkus, and the Turkish Stars aerobatic team.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Bayraktar AKINCI made a historic flight, covering 1,022 kilometers in about 3 hours from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center to Gecitkale Airport, where it performed a salute flyover and formation flight.
National aviation altitude record
Since entering the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces on Aug. 29, 2021, Bayraktar AKINCI TIHA has held the national aviation altitude record.
On June 21, 2022, during endurance, high altitude, and high-speed tests, it achieved a record-setting altitude of 13,716 meters (45,118 feet).
The Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned aerial vehicle also played a crucial role in the aftermath of the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes. Despite challenging weather conditions, it flew immediately after the disaster and participated in search and rescue, coordination, security, and damage assessment missions. Nine Bayraktar AKINCI UAVs continuously operated during the post-earthquake activities.
Equipped with national ammunition
The integration of domestically produced munitions on Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA continues to progress successfully.
So far, several indigenous munitions have been integrated and successfully tested, including MAM-L, MAM-L TV, MAM-T, MAM-T IIR/TV, MAM-C, TOLUN, TOLUN IIR, Teber-81, Teber-82, LACIN 82 LGK-81, LGK-82, HGK-82, Gokce Guidance Kit, Gozde Guidance Kit, KGK-82-SIHA, IHA-230 Supersonic Missile, TV Seeker and Laser Seeker Headed IHA-122 Supersonic Missile, and Cakir Cruise Missile.
Bayraktar AKINCI has successfully struck its targets with high precision during test flights.
In a test conducted on Feb. 24, Bayraktar AKINCI C stayed in the air for over an hour, successfully testing aerodynamic parameters. With a total power of 1700 HP, Bayraktar AKINCI C will become one of the most effective and capable combat platforms in its class.
Recently, the Bayraktar AKINCI A (with 2x450 HP) and Bayraktar AKINCI B (with 2x750 HP) have joined the inventories of friendly and allied countries, including Azerbaijan in addition to Turkish security forces.
Largest aviation export
On July 18, 2023, a cooperation agreement was signed between Baykar and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense, witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As a result, Bayraktar AKINCI TIHAs were added to the inventory of the Saudi Royal Air and Naval Forces, marking Türkiye's largest-ever aviation export.
Additionally, on Feb. 12, a joint production agreement for the export of Bayraktar TB3 and Akinci drones was signed with Indonesia.
Bayraktar AKINCI, holding the national aviation altitude record of 45,118 feet, flew from Tekirdag Corlu to Baku in Azerbaijan for TEKNOFEST 2022, crossing three countries. In the same year, during the Efes Exercise, Bayraktar AKINCI successfully struck targets in Izmir after taking off from Batman.
Since its early stages, Baykar has undertaken all of its projects with its own resources. Since the start of its unmanned aerial vehicle R&D process in 2003, Baykar has generated 83% of its revenue from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, placing it among the top 10 firms with the highest exports amongst all sectors in Türkiye.
As the largest unmanned aerial vehicle exporter in the world, Baykar continued its global success in 2024, generating 90% of its income from exports, with $1.8 billion in exports. Baykar, recognized with the "Export Champions Award," led the defense and aviation sector's exports in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Baykar, which alone accounted for one-third of the sector's exports in 2023, also made up one-fourth of the total exports of the defense and aerospace sector in 2024, making Türkiye the leader in the global unmanned combat aerial vehicle export market.
Baykar, the world's largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, has signed export agreements with 34 countries for Bayraktar TB2 UAVs and 11 countries for Bayraktar AKINCI TIHAs.
