Turkish drone magnate Baykar inks 13th export deal

Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Turkish drone magnate Baykar on Wednesday said it will be exporting its Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) to another purchaser, without unveiling which country it will be.

“We have completed the #BayraktarTB2 UCAV export contract with one more country. With this agreement, the number of countries where #BayraktarTB2 UCAV has been exported to became 13,” the company said in a Twitter statement.

Earlier this month, sources speaking to Reuters said Turkey has expanded the export of its renowned combat drones by negotiating deals with Morocco and Ethiopia.

The growing interest in domestic UCAVs followed their successful use in conflicts.

The Turkish military used drones last year in Syria as well as in Libya where Ankara backed the Tripoli-based government against eastern forces supported by Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, the drones helped Turkey's ally Azerbaijan defeat Armenia-backed occupying forces.

Most recently on Tuesday, Ukrainian Armed Forces also shared a video showing Bayraktar TB2’s destroying a howitzer used by pro-Russian separatists in Donbass. It was the Ukraine-owned drone’s first ever deployment in the region.

The Bayraktar TB2 has been sold to countries including Ukraine, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Poland. In May, Poland became the first European Union and NATO member state to acquire drones from Turkey.

Saudi Arabia is also said to have been interested in buying Turkish drones. Latvia also hinted that it could be the second European Union and NATO member state to acquire the Turkish UCAVs. Albania and Kyrgyzstan have also shown interest in striking a deal to procure Bayraktar TB2s.