Not only Ukraine, all the business of the Turkish drone company Baykar
The successes gathered in the field by the jewel of the Turkish defense industry produced by the Baykar company have attracted the attention of dozens of new customers. Marco Orioles's article
Sales are booming for the Bayraktar TB2, the Turkish attack drone that has proved decisive in the Ukrainian battlefields but which had already made a difference in conflicts such as those in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The successes gathered in the field by the jewel of the Turkish defense industry produced by the Baykar company have attracted the attention of dozens of new customers, many of whom have already acquired the precious weapon system.
As Reuters recalls, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, who runs the company alongside Erdogan Selcuk's brother and son-in-law, said last month that the company has signed export contracts with 22 countries.
And the countries could have been many more were it not for the limited production capacities of Baykar, which is currently able to churn out no more than 20 models per month. A problem that now, given the rising demand, Baykar is about to solve through its new plant in Ukraine. The company's new production goals are now to hit 500 drones per year.
AN EXPANDING CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO FOR BAYKAR
Turkey, which used drones on its own in its military operations against Kurdish militants in Syria and Iraq, had already sold the Bayraktar to Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Qatar in the past.
But in May, a very important client was added, because it is a member of NATO and of the European Union, Poland. On the occasion of the visit to Ankara by Polish President Andrzej Duda, the two countries signed, the AP states , an agreement for the supply of 24 Bayraktar, the first of which will be delivered only next year.
In turn, underlines the Middle East Eye , Romania was added, whose Ministry of Defense asked Parliament for approval to proceed with the purchase of 18 Bayraktar TB2s.
AFRICA LAND OF CONQUEST
But it is in Africa that Baykar is doing gold business. AsMilitary Africa points out, here the company sold the Bayraktar to the governments of Togo, Djibouti, Libya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Niger while Angola expressed its interest.
STRATEGIC WEAPON AGAINST THE IRANIAN MILITIES
The most sensational sale was undoubtedly the one destined for the former rivals of the United Arab Emirates , which this month received 20 Bayraktar as part of a contract that provides for the delivery of 120 drones.
The recent thaw between the UAE and its Saudi ally on the one hand and Turkey on the other has sparked hope between the first two countries that Ankara can help with its deadly drones in the challenge posed to them by Iran and from its proxies equipped with Iranian-made drones.
Both Gulf nations have suffered heavy drone strikes in cities and oil facilities, as part of attacks attributed to Yemen's Iranian-allied Houthi rebels.
In the eyes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the purchase of the Bayraktar serves to more than compensate for the enemy's offensive capabilities. Saudi Arabia in particular, according to Reuters , is so convinced that it has expressed to the Turkish government its desire to set up a factory for the Bayraktar on its soil.
IN CENTRAL ASIA
But if there is an example of the effective use of Turkish drones in the battlefield, it is in the border clashes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan that reignited overwhelmingly last September 14.
With the Bayraktar TB2 received in December 2021, Kyrgyzstan inflicted severe blows on the Tajik territory, hitting settlements, schools and mosques and causing 41 deaths. As Al Monitor notes, the use of the Bayraktar has largely balanced the traditional Tajik military superiority.
In response, Tajikistan is also now trying to procure drones. In early April, the Tajik Defense Ministry and its Turkish counterpart signed an agreement providing for Turkish assistance at the borders of Tajikistan. On the occasion of that trip to Turkey, the Tajik minister visited the Baykar plants and spoke with his managers.
But a contract to supply the Bayraktar has not yet materialized because, at least according to Al Monitor , Erdogan is reluctant to irritate Kyrgyzstan.
However, Kyrgyzstan is not the only Central Asian country with Bayraktar. Turkmenistan acquired them in December 2020, while Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are currently in talks with Baykar.
FAR EAST NEW FRONTIER
The news, relaunched by the Eurasian Times website, of Turkey's announcement that it is ready to supply Bayraktar to Japan is at this time.
While in Japan to attend former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's funeral, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters he saw promising opportunities in expanding defense ties with Japan, ties that will now include supply. of drones. The minister also revealed that he has formed bilateral agreements for the supply of drones with the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/non-solo-ucraina-tutti-gli-affari-dellazienda-turca-di-droni-baykar/ on Sat, 01 Oct 2022 05:33:28 +0000.