Akıncı combat drone of Bayraktar at Teknofest, 17 September 2019, By Wikimedia user (CeeGee).
On August 29, Turkey’s leading drone manufacturer Baykar handed over the first four Bayraktar Akıncıs combat drones to the Turkish military.
The advanced drones entered service with the Turkish military in a ceremony held in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ and attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Selçuk Bayraktar and many other officials.
“With the Akıncıs UCAV [unmanned combat aerial vehicle], Turkey has become one of the top three countries in this technology,” Erdogan, who signed the new drones, said during the ceremony.
Two Akıncıs drones were handed over to the Land Forces Command, 2nd Army Drone Battalion Command while the other two drones entered service with the 341st Gölge [Shadow] Squadron of the Air Force Command.
“With Akıncı UCAV, Turkey has become one of the top 3 countries in this technology” https://t.co/rxRCHmm4jk pic.twitter.com/8zB2tedipv
— Turkish Presidency (@trpresidency) August 29, 2021
📸 A N L I K
Bayraktar #AKINCI TİHA Teslimat ve Mezuniyet Töreni❗#MilliTeknolojiHamlesi ✈️🐳🚀🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/0IlWpByOAi
— BAYKAR (@Baykar_Savunma) August 29, 2021
With a wingspan of 20 meters, Akıncıs is among Turkey’s largest combat drones. The drone was designed by Baykar to carry out intelligence, surveillance and target acquisition (ISTAR) missions, command, control and communication (C3) tasks as well as combat operations.
The combat drone can deliver a wide variety of weapons. Earlier this year, the drone test-fired the MAM-T glide bomb. The bomb has a maximum range of 30 km and is guided by GPS as well as semi-active laser. The drone also tested the HGK-84 guided bomb.
Last July, Akıncıs set a new national aviation record by flying at an altitude of 38,039 feet and staying in the air for 25 hours and 46 minutes.
The Akıncıs combat drone will boost the long-range combat and surveillance capabilities of the Turkish military, which has been expanding its operations in the Middle East and North Africa like never before.
