Turkey’s new combat drone conducts test flight, manufacturer says

Turkey’s latest domestically-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is equipped with smart technology, has successfully conducted its maiden flight in the northwest of the country, the manufacturer says.

In a statement carried by the Turkish state-run Anadolu news Agency on Saturday, the Istanbul-based Baykar Makina said Bayraktar Akinci (Raider) combat drone carried out its test flight with success on Friday.

It added that the armed drone could stay in the air for 16 minutes after smoothly completing a fully-automatic taxi and takeoff.

The new drone also successfully implemented its first fully-automatic landing at Corlu Airport Base Command in Tekirdag province, the manufacturer further said, adding that the engine of the aircraft had been tested in September.

According to Anadolu, Bayraktar Akinci is expected to be used for strategic military tasks.

The new drone is operated with the help of two turbine engines and can carry nearly 1.5 tons in useful load, 900 kilograms external and 450 kilograms internal.

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According to the Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper, the Akinci can also fly at an operational altitude of over 12 kilometers and can stay in the air for 24 hours. It added that the platform can be controlled via domestically-developed satellites.

The Turkish newspaper added that the new combat drone can also be equipped with an electronic support pod, air-to-air radars, satellite communication system, barrier-identification radar, synthetic aperture radar and meteorological radar, “all designed and developed by Turkey.”

The Daily Sabah also quoted some unnamed officials of Baykar Makina as saying that the Akinci might be equipped with indigenous air-to-air missile systems and might also be deployed in air-to-air missions.

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