combat drone
Baykar Bayraktar TB2 – the most dangerous weapon in Ukraine comes from Turkey
A TB2 at the Kyiv Independence Parade in 2021.
© Vladimir Shtanko / Picture Alliance
Erdogan will be proud of the TB2 combat drone, which inflicts heavy losses on the Russians in Ukraine. The cheap drone is powerful, difficult to track down and is already an export hit.
There is often talk of the West’s smart, modern weapon systems that are plaguing Putin’s tanks in Ukraine. By far the most dangerous weapon in Kiev’s arsenal does not come from the EU or the USA, the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 combat drone comes from Turkey. A country not known for its high-tech exports.
According to Ukrainian information, a TB2 also played a decisive role in the attack on the Russian battlecruiser Moskva. A fake attack course by the drone caught the attention of the Russian ships. In the shadow of the TB2, two Neptun rockets are said to have attacked the flagship. The Neptun attacks in extremely low flight, making it difficult to detect and intercept.
An attack on the Moskva is denied by the Kremlin. Regardless of this, the drone from Turkey has become the most important weapon in two wars within a year. The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia was decided by the Turkish Azeris drones and Ukraine inflicts heavy losses on the Russian forces with the TB2.
Can also be used against resistance
The TB2 thus revises a certain basic skepticism about combat drones. So far, it has only been used against underarmed insurgents or against countries without significant air defenses and air forces. The question remained, how would the drones hold up against a modernly equipped opponent? Because a TB2 is not a disposable toy. The hull is 6.5 meters long; the wingspan is 12 meters. During the conflict it is not possible to give a conclusive answer as to how the drone will be used. But it can be assumed that it flies under the Russian air defense stations positioned on the ground. In any case, she is a tough opponent and not so easy to get out of the sky. The TB2 is a small footprint weapon system. It is easy to maintain and easy to hide as it does not require a runway like a jet. The TB2 is quite slow with a top speed of 222 km/h but can stay in the air for 24 hours. It carries a weapon load of 150 kilograms and can be equipped with various equipment sets. The low load of 150 kilograms makes it clear that the drone with smart defense missiles is the most dangerous. In low flight and at the low speed, however, even stupid drop bombs hit very precisely.
gap for Turkey
Why is the TB2 such a success? The United States and, to a limited extent, Great Britain, were the first powers to use combat drones, but the United States rigorously restricted exports for a long time. Certainly also because combat drones are suitable for counterinsurgency. Over time, other countries also built combat drones. Exporters include China and Israel. Israel is reluctant to export arms to Russia. Chinese weapons are out of the question for many countries for political reasons, and there are said to have been significant problems with the use of Chinese drones.
Inexpensive export hit
The Turkish TB series, on the other hand, is considered mature and tried and tested. It has been used against Kurdish insurgents in Turkey for years. Turkey would never have received a US system for these domestic operations. To put it bluntly, one could say that Turkey became a global drone power because the USA blocked the export of combat drones. In addition to the reliability, the low price speaks for the TB2 – it should be even cheaper than the corresponding Chinese drones. The price of the TB2 is given as less than two million euros for the aircraft, the system price is around five million. An MQ-9 Reaper from the USA costs about 18 million. The reputation gained in the current conflicts should continue to drive demand for the TB2 upwards.
For Turkey, the basic decision to set up its own drone production is paying off. It can be assumed that other combat drones will be built in addition to the successor TB-3. Turkey has already presented the concept of an unmanned fighter jet – a kind of super drone. However, the components of the TB2 do not all come from Turkish production, central components are or were imported. The drone production in Turkey is therefore not really independent.