Turkish aerospace firm Baykar Defence will supply more Bayraktar TB2 combat drones to the Ukrainian armed forces to bolster the country’s defense capabilities amid evolving aerial threats.
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the European nation will acquire more Bayraktar drones next year. He also pointed out that the new equipment will be called “Ukrainian Bayraktars,” though produced in Turkey.
Praised for its combat capabilities, the Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a triple-redundant avionics system. It has a payload capacity of 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and can operate day and night.
With a 100hp internal combustion engine, the tactical drone can travel up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) and fly at a maximum altitude of 27,030 feet (8,238 meters).
In 2019, Ukraine purchased six Bayraktar TB2 and three ground control station systems from Turkey to help defend the Eastern European nation amid tensions with Russia over the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
The Turkish government said it is elevating defense cooperation with Ukraine by implementing more than 30 joint defense agreements and projects.