Turkey and America are allies and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and have among the most formidable armies in NATO. Turkey is not allied with Russia, hence it can block off access in and out of the Black Sea by way of the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara which connects to the Mediterranean.
Political science is a subject that I find personally daunting. To me, it would send computer code programmers sprinting the wrong way down a one-way street. I tend to parry the heavily political aspects of (the) war and lean on the tactical and strategic components to paint a picture of essential maneuvers. The war in Ukraine is different than any war before it for the extensive use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAV) — drones.
Enter TB2 Bayraktar: it rather blew me away to see and learn about this fully formidable Turkish un-piloted drone that can master the skies of its choice. Its first official act in the Ukrainian combat theater of operations was to whip a** on a strip of Russian-held tactical field repairs. Where had this Bayraktar drone been all our lives?
What makes the TB2 Bayraktar so formidable?
Is it safe to say I think this is the best drone in the war of Russian aggression against Ukraine… no! There is so much ‘dronery’ out there. I would be petrified to be assigned the job of evaluating them all to determine the very best drone on the playing field. What’s more, there exists the ability to “build” a drone designed to fly to a specialized mission.
The twelve characteristics below can be used to judge the worth of a drone model on the battlefield:
1. Weight
2. Size
3. Altitude capability
4. Speed: cruise to dash and duration at dash
5. Weight of carriable payload
6. Target loiter time
7. Duration of flight under a full mission profile
8. Physical durability
9. Duration of operator training time
10. Noise level at cruise speed
11. Noise level at dash speed
12. Overall build complexity and repairability
That’s my list, although geeks will probably have to step forward and make it 25 times longer.
I assigned a value of 1-10 to each of the above characteristics, add them all together, and compare them to the armada of drones I have selected (or was ordered) to evaluate. And the winner is… well, for this paper the winner is the TB2 Bayraktar!
The killing machine’s main characteristics are the following:
Maximum Speed: 160 KIAS Dash
Cruise Speed: 125 KIAS Cruise
Payload Capacity: 620 pounds
Wing span: 46 Ft
Length: 27.4 Ft
In the video below, you can watch some of the drone’s capabilities put to use in the war in Ukraine:
But this is not the last evolution of the Turkish drone.
Related: The Mozart Group and its diverse mission sets in Ukraine
Enter now the Bayker Bayraktar Akinci
Companies with military technology prowess, upon turning the last bolt on any given complete R&D project, will already have at least a modest idea of where they see their technology advancing in the future. Superpowers, especially, will already have the next-generation project being worked on in series, if not better yet in tandem with the previous generation one.
The Bayker Bayraktar Akinci is another flavor of the drone line that exceeds the TB2 Bayraktar in most 12 characteristics of my list above. The Bayraktar Akıncı is the world’s first production multi-role unmanned combat aircraft. I harbor no compunction in declaring that it whips the pants off of most other drones in terms of flexibility, and therefore lethality.
It is hardly debatable that the most innovative feature of the Akinci is its capability to engage flying aircraft with fire-and-forget Anti-Air-Missiles (AAM) using Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) laser guidance. Another impressive trait of the drone is that it can effectively use its 275+ kilometer maximum range air-to-ground missile with a formidable warhead against deep hardened bunkers, SAM sites, and even water-borne vessels.
It’s perhaps a bit frightening that a foreign country boasts such deadly drone technology, but recall that Turkey is a NATO member, and also that the United States lays claim to the most advanced and lethal drone program in the world. To mess with America’s drone fleet is to retreat with an MQ9 Reaper up your nose.
By Almighty God and with honor,
geo sends
Read more from Sandboxx News
- The West is sending the superior M777 Field Artillery Howitzer to Ukraine
- Delta Force operator on how Ukrainian special forces rescued a prisoner from the Russians
- What does the invasion of Ukraine mean for China and Taiwan?
- Mozart Group: How American veterans are helping Ukraine win
- Switchblade drones: Giving Ukraine an edge on the battlefield
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Cheers and WILCO, brother Özgür.
geo sends
Great article Geo and an accurate analysis of the Turkish made Bayraktar TB-2 and Bayraktar Akinci. We don’t know a whole lot about the later but I love the TB-2. It’s a great little drone which packs a lethal punch. It is no doubt the best drone in it’s class.
RGR all, Kenen…
There is a dichotomy of thought on the cost of the Bayraktar — is it expensive or not. There could not be a more relative: ‘I thought the Chinese Silkworm was way too expensive… until it sank the Enterprise.
RGR Akinci; we don’t have a granular image of that beast, but it will be capable of operating in other combat networks such as strike/fighter fast movers and the like.
I think it is the best of its class too, Kenen, and thank you for your valued input.
geo sends
why are the Russians buying the Iranian drones instead of the Turkish drones which you say are the best and maybe the cheapest . give readers an update on the information and what can the Ukraines do to repel these drones. I believe a locust amount of cheap drones with small bombs or grenade style ammunition on contact to blow up russian troops and vehicles is the way to go and much cheaper. lets hear from you.
The Bayraktar sounds like a dinosaur, anyway it’s cool stuff. Thanks Geo.
OMG… why did I think that too?? I guess because of the Raptor dinosaur and others
“The Bayraktar was an omnivorous low-land dweller in Europe nearly 250 million years ago.
Ha ha ha…
geo sends
Survivability.
Surely survivability in a hostile AD environment should be an important characteristic?
Ukraine started with 30 to 40 Bayrakters. These were shot down or destroyed on the ground.in the first month.
To date, the Russians claim to have destroyed 83 Bayrakters and 1,080 UAV’s of all other types for a total of 1,163 UAVs.
Bayrakters are not cheap, a million or more each, and how many sorties before it gets shot down? Actual hourly cost per Bayrakter is $100,000 to $1,000,000 or more per hour, depending on how long it survives.
” To mess with America’s drone fleet is to retreat with an MQ9 Reaper up your nose.”
Somehow, I do not think Russian S-300, S-400 or S-500 operators would retreat from an MQ-9, more likely they would simply swat it down like an annoying fly.
I admit the S-3,4, and 500s are formidable tubes.
You are also correct that cost certainly should be one of my elements of analysis but mission-dependent. The cost though, as I have read, is fully dependent on the user. It is a matter of fact just yesterday I read a couple of articles in which the writer described the Bayraktar as cheap and worth the bang for the buck.
Finally, as cost goes, what is the worthy price for freedom.
Much respect,
geo sends
Check the information you have about the price and the other capabilities about Bayraktar Buddy.!
Best wishes.
Cheers and WILCO, brother Özgür.
geo sends
Cool story George.
THANKS, A MILLION, Arizona Kidd!
Always great to hear from you, brother.
geo sends
Wow! That is a real advancement in warfare. And whilst I’m happy for the Ukraine to have that advantage, I wonder what Turkey will try and do to Greece, next. Thank you Geo for your much considered explanation.
I hope that never happens, Ms. Loula. Again, I can’t help but say in some cases the Russian War of Aggression in Ukraïni is less about political aligning and more about fielding their weapons technology on a live modern battlefield to give it the ultimate test.
geo sends
Thank you, Geo! This is a real education for me; I don’t know much about drones.
Thank you and you’re welcome, Ms. Susan. I plan to get enough articles out there that render a vision in the readers’ heads. That means demilitarizing the language to the extent that it is understood across the audience. It’s always difficult to insert humor into such a read, but with me, humor manages to just show up with no notice.
geo sends
Very interesting Geo. It would be really cool to learn more about the people who operate the drones.
Cheers
MicMac
I’m wondering if it’s like the gaming flying Mason does. I really have no clue. 😂
I also have a professional drone that I was planning to use for surveillance but ended up out of human traffick!
A problem with the civilian gamer drones is they can only carry a negligible payload into combat in terms of munitions that are heavy enough to inflict reasonable damage to the enemy.
geo sends