Bayraktar AKINCI: Türkiye’s Achievement in Modern Combat Drone Technology

 

By Sherazur Rahman  

Teacher and Writer, Singra, Natore, Bangladesh

The Bayraktar AKINCI, created by Türkiye’s Baykar company, is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle. It is designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and direct strike missions, making it one of the most capable heavy combat drones in the world.

On February 21, Türkiye’s state-owned news agency A News reported that the AKINCI successfully targeted an airborne object during a test flight over the Black Sea. It used a loitering munition to strike another drone mid-air. The test involved the high-speed EREN loitering munition developed by Roketsan, which can autonomously detect and engage targets.

In 2024, open-source defense reports stated that the AKINCI successfully launched the Roketsan IHA-230 supersonic guided missile. This air-to-surface weapon has a range of around 150 to 160 kilometers.

The HALE-class AKINCI measures about 12.5 meters in length, has a 20-meter wingspan, and a maximum takeoff weight of around 5,500 kilograms. It can fly at altitudes of 40,000 to 45,000 feet and reach speeds up to 360 km/h. Its cruising speed is between 270 and 280 km/h. Fully fueled, it can stay in the air for 24 to 25 hours or longer, with satellite communications allowing long-range mission control.

The AKINCI-B variant is equipped with two Ukrainian-made AI-450T turboprop engines, each producing 750 horsepower. The upcoming AKINCI-C variant is anticipated to feature more powerful 850-horsepower engines.

With advanced avionics, including an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, electronic warfare systems, and modern targeting technologies, the AKINCI can also perform autonomous takeoff and landing.

It can carry up to 1,350 kilograms of guided and unguided munitions across six external hardpoints. These include MAM-L and MAM-C smart munitions, L-UMTAS anti-tank missiles, MK-series bombs with winged guidance kits, Bozdoğan air-to-air missiles, and SOM stand-off cruise missiles.

Open-source estimates suggest the unit cost ranges from $20 to $30 million, depending on configuration, but no official price has been announced.

The AKINCI first flew on December 6, 2019, and joined the Turkish Armed Forces on August 29, 2021. Türkiye currently operates it, and reports indicate other nations are interested in future procurement.

In conclusion, the Bayraktar AKINCI shows Türkiye’s growing skill in unmanned combat technology. Its combination of intelligence, surveillance, and precision strike capabilities indicates the increasing versatility and strategic significance of modern combat drones in multi-domain military operations.

Sources: Turkey Today, A News, The Daily Sabah, Baykar

Note: This is an original article by Sherazur Rahman. AI tools were used only for language refinement and fact-checking.