UAV · MALE UCAV
Bayraktar TB2
Baykar · Turkey
Medium-altitude long-endurance armed UAV for ISTAR and precision strike, carrying MAM-series laser-guided munitions. Exported to 30+ countries and heavily combat-proven.
| Country | Turkey |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Fixed-wing |
| Price | ~$5M per aircraft (system with multiple aircraft + GCS costs tens of millions). CSV $5M reasonable per-unit estimate. |
| Subtype | MALE UCAV |
| Role | UCAV / armed ISR |
| Class | MALE |
| Classification | MALE UCAV |
| Mission | ISR, Strike, Target acquisition |
| Datalink | LOS (~150 km); SATCOM on later variants |
| Variants | TB2; TB2 with SATCOM |
| Notable partners | L3Harris WESCAM (MX-15D, historically); Roketsan (MAM munitions) |
| MTOW (kg) | 630 |
| Operators | Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Qatar, Poland, Kuwait, 30+ countries |
| Frame type | Fixed-wing |
| Length (m) | 6.5 |
| Propulsion | Piston |
| Range (km) | 150 |
| Wingspan (m) | 12 |
| Combat-proven | Yes |
| Export status | Exported to 30+ countries |
| Launch method | Runway |
| Autonomy level | Automatic takeoff/landing/cruise; man-in-the-loop weapons |
| Endurance (min) | 1620 |
| Recovery method | Runway (automatic) |
| Year introduced | 2014 |
| Max payload (kg) | 55 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 222 |
| Standard sensors | WESCAM MX-15D EO/IR/laser designator |
| Production status | Active (~250/year, scaling) |
| Notable engagements | 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh; Libya; Syria (Spring Shield 2020); Ukraine 2022 |
| Service ceiling (m) | 8230 |
| Conflicts deployed in | Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh (2020), Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | RC line-of-sight – BVLOS, Semi-autonomous (human-on-the-loop) |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – military | Armed UCAV, ISR, Target acquisition |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | ICE – petrol |
| Range / endurance | Long endurance (>24 hrs) |
| Signature / detectability | RCS – large, RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | High (150–400 km/h) |
| Strike depth / operational role | Recon-strike complex (ISR + strike paired, e.g. Mavic + FPV, Orlan + Lancet) |
| Threat vector | Surveillance / reconnaissance |
| Weight / class | Class III – Strike / Combat (>600 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver) |
In the news 17
Drug Traffickers Could Become Africa's Drone Arms Dealers, a Paper Warns. The Hardest Data Comes From Latin AmericaDrug Traffickers Could Become Africa's Drone Arms Dealers, Paper WarnsBaykar reports direct hit in Akinci’s first firing test with ASELSAN’s Morfoz Guidance KitEDGE Signs to Arm Morocco's Combat Drones With Desert Sting 16 and Thunder P-31 Guided WeaponsAkinci: How Baykar turned the UAV into an African and Middle Eastern export successSouth Korea eyes Turkish engines for its dronesPierwsza morska konfiguracja Bayraktara TB 3 [WIDEO]Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan army gets Turkish kamikaze dronesEthiopia appears to receive Chinese FK-2000 air defense systemsPakistan shows off new Chinese and Turkish air defence systemsTurkish drone pods team up to jam, image enemy radarUkraine strikes Russian naval drone in Black Sea
Showing the 12 most recent of 17 mentions.
From uav360.xyz, the xSonomy news feed. Headlines link to the original publisher.
Review-stage catalogue data — specs corroborated from manufacturer and secondary sources; not for procurement decisions. Source: baykartech.com/en/uav/bayraktar-tb2