Baykar Bayraktar TB2

Summary

Description

The development of the Bayraktar TB2 was initiated at the request of the Presidency of Defense Industries, following the operational experiences of the Bayraktar TB1, which was delivered in 2011. This development was partly influenced by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey. The Bayraktar TB2 performed its maiden flight in August 2014. On December 18, 2015, a test firing of a missile from the TB2 was conducted in collaboration with Roketsan. This testing phase included the initial trials of Roketsan's MAM and TUBITAK-SAGE's BOZOK laser-guided bombs.

The Bayraktar TB2 platform incorporates a blended wing body design paired with an inverted V-tail structure. Propulsion is provided by an internal combustion engine housed within the main body, driving a variable-pitch, two-blade propeller in a pusher configuration positioned between the tail booms. The platform features a modular monocoque structure with detachable components including the wing, tail boom, and V-tails. Fuselage construction relies predominantly on carbon fiber composite materials, supplemented by machined aluminum components at connection points. Fuel is contained within bladder tanks, with consumption managed by solenoid valves. A typical Bayraktar TB2 system configuration comprises six aerial vehicle platforms, two ground control stations, three ground data terminals, two remote video terminals, and necessary ground support equipment. The aerial platform is equipped with a triply-redundant avionics system. The ground control station, based on a NATO-specification shelter, incorporates cross-redundant command and control systems.

The Bayraktar TB2 is equipped with four hardpoints, supporting a diverse range of munitions for varied mission requirements. It can deploy MAM (Mini Akıllı Mühimmat) laser-guided smart bombs, including the MAM-C and MAM-L variants. The TB2 is also compatible with the L-UMTAS (Long Range Anti tank Missile System), the Roketsan Cirit 70 mm Missile System, TUBITAK-SAGE BOZOK laser-guided rockets, the TUBITAK-SAGE TOGAN quad rack of GPS/INS guided 81 mm mortars, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), the Kemankeş Mini Intelligent Cruise Missile, and the TUBITAK-SAGE KAYI-30 laser-guided miniature bomb. The platform possesses an overall payload capacity of 150 kg (331 lb).

The Bayraktar TB2 has been deployed in various operational contexts, including counterinsurgency operations by the Turkish military in Iraq and Syria. During Operation Spring Shield in March 2020, TB2s were utilized alongside other UAVs and electronic jamming systems to target Syrian army assets. The platform was subsequently employed by Azerbaijan in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the Russian invasion. The Ethiopian National Defense Force has also reportedly used the TB2. Operational utility has encompassed ground target engagement, aerial surveillance, and tactical influence. Challenges identified in its operational use include vulnerability to sophisticated modern air defense systems in high-intensity conflict environments. As of September 2023, the Bayraktar TB2 had been exported to 31 countries.

Main Variants:

• Bayraktar TB2: The baseline model, utilizing ground-based antennas for communication with ground control within a 150–300 kilometer range.

• Bayraktar TB2S: An enhanced version incorporating satellite communication (SATCOM) capabilities, identifiable by a body protrusion and nose antenna, extending control range and improving resistance to jamming.

• Bayraktar TB2T-AI: This variant features a turbo engine, revised aerodynamics with winglets and horizontal stabilisers on the V-tail, three advanced AI computers, a speed of approximately 300 km/h (160 kts), increased Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) and payload capacity, and a maximum altitude exceeding 30,000 ft, with a climb time to 30,000 ft of 25 minutes.

Technical specifications

All operators

United Arab Emirates • Azerbaijan • Burkina Faso • Djibouti • Ethiopia • Kyrgyzstan • Libya • Morocco • Mali • Niger • Nigeria • Pakistan • Poland • Qatar • Rwanda • Somalia • Togo • Turkmenistan • Tunisia • Turkey • Ukraine

Photo of Bayraktar TB2