Following Qatar and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia recently signed an agreement to purchase the TB2 UCAV from Türkiye.
The exceptional combat performance and cost-effectiveness of TB2s have contributed to their increased sales in recent years. Türkiye sold over 500 TB2 UCAVs to 32 countries.
After completing its first flight in August 2014, the medium-altitude and long-endurance UAV developed by Baykar for the Turkish army entered the army inventory.
The TB2 has a combat altitude of 5500 metres, a maximum flight altitude of 8200 metres, and a maximum speed of 220 km per hour. TB2's battery life is up to 27 hours.
TB2, which has proven effective in recent local conflicts, destroyed many Armenian armoured vehicles and air defence systems while in the hands of the Azerbaijani army during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
TB2s also attract attention with their relatively low cost. It is valued at approximately 5 million dollars on the international market. Baykar, which only exported 6 TB2 UCAVs in 2019, sold over 500 TB2s to 32 countries by 2023, following the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In September 2022, the United Arab Emirates purchased 120 TB2 UCAVs in a single transaction. The TB2s are employed by the armies of Poland, Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan.
Türkiye is also testing the TB3, an improved version of the TB2. The TB3, which completed its first flight on October 27, has a payload capacity of approximately 280 kilogrammes and a flight range of more than 1800 kilometres. TB3's capability to takeoff and land on short runways makes it operable on vessels. TB3, slated for mass production in 2024, will be deployed on board the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship.
Baykar also plans to start serial production of the fighter aircraft called Kızılelma in 2024. Kızılelma will be able to wield various types of precision munitions and air-to-air missiles.
Through UAV exports, Türkiye can achieve development in two areas in the future.
First, it can increase the volume of arms exports. Türkiye's arms exports reached $4.4 billion in 2022. This exceeds even the annual defence budgets of some European countries. The Turkish government plans to increase this figure to $6 billion in 2023. In addition to the countries it already trades with, such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan, Türkiye wants to use the exports of UCAVs to sell arms to other countries in Africa and Europe.
Secondly, the level of independence in hardware is increasing. In recent years, Türkiye has been vigorously developing its indigenous defence industry to avoid having advanced equipment controlled by others. Having joined the ranks of major drone-producing countries by increasing its R&D and installation investments, Türkiye aims to break free of dependence on foreign advanced weapons and equipment by strengthening the development of independent air and naval platforms.