Turkish drone manufacturer signs $370 million deal with Kuwait for for TB2 drones

Middle East, News January 21, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Turkiye’s largest drone manufacturer Baykar Technology signed a $370 million worth contract with Kuwait for TB2 drones, increasing the number of its foreign customers to more than two dozen.

Baykar signed a contract to sell armed Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles to the Kuwait Defense Ministry. According to the Baykar Defense statement, the company “won out in competition with significant firms from America, Europe, and China, in the (bidding) process going on since 2019.”

The announcement did not disclose the total number of drones that would be delivered to Kuwait. “A contract worth $370 million was signed with Kuwait Defence Ministry to export Bayraktar TB2 drones,” Baykar said in a statement.

Last month, Baykar also announced the signing of a deal to sell three Bayraktar TB2 drones to Albania. A Turkish procurement official said further TB2 sales to Albania and other Balkan militaries, including Serbia and its regional rival Kosovo, are very likely in the next couple of years.

With the latest contract with Kuwait, the number of countries that signed contracts for the Bayraktar TB2 increased to 28. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Baykar became the leader of the Turkish defense and aerospace industry. Baykar’s export revenue reached up to $1.18 billion in the year 2022. The company announced that exports accounted for as much as 98% of the company’s annual sales in 2022.

Bayraktar TB2 drone has proven to be quite effective against Russian forces in the Russia-Ukraine war. The drone has become quite popular among Ukrainians and other eastern European countries. A Ukrainian soldier Taras Borovok also released a song named ‘Bayraktar’ in March, that praises the drone for its performance. The drone has also proven its worthiness during the conflicts in Syria and Libya.

*^{Ukraine’s military took receipt of Bayraktar TB2 drones and more than 420 additional items of materiel in March 2019. (Image Credit: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)}*

The Bayraktar TB2 is a lightweight, medium-altitude, and long-endurance Unmanned Combatant Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) that can carry four L3Harris Hornet bomb racks to accommodate L-UMTAS (Long Range Anti-tank Missile System).

In December last year, Baykar also announced that its fighter jet-like supersonic drone, Bayraktar Kizilelma, has completed the first flight test. The Kizilelma is powered by a single Ukrainian-designed turbofan engine, allowing it an endurance of five to six hours at an altitude of 35000 feet with a flight radius of 950 kilometers. The drone has been designed to incorporate all the features of a supersonic sonic fighter jet. The name Kizilelma means Red Apple. It can carry 1500 kilograms of payload. It can also take off and land from a short runway.