ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish defence company Baykar is planning to finish the development of its manufacturing plant in Ukraine in two years, its chief executive said on Thursday, after the corporate became highly renowned for his or her drones’ success in thwarting Russian forces.
The aerial drones supplied to Ukraine by Baykar were instrumental in Ukraine’s defense against Russian armour and anti-aircraft systems in the primary few weeks of the Russian invasion.
Its Bayraktar TB2 drone gained a lot prominence with the general public that Ukrainians composed a song about it and a few allies launched unprecedented crowdfunded campaigns to purchase more.
As a part of an agreement between Turkey and Ukraine, signed just before Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, Baykar had agreed to construct its second manufacturing plant in Ukraine.
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CEO Haluk Bayraktar told Reuters on Thursday that plans were moving ahead despite some obstacles created by Russia’s invasion. “Our plan is moving ahead,” the chief executive said on the sidelines of the SAHA defense expo in Istanbul.
“Straight away now we have architectural design. The detailed design phase is finished. And we’ll move ahead with construction actually… inside two years we would really like to complete it.”
Ukraine figures prominently in Baykar’s supply chain, especially with the brand new heavy-lifter drone Akinci and unmanned fighter jet Kizilelma, or Golden Apple, currently under development. Each use Ukrainian engines from Motor Sich and from Ivchenko-Progress.
Deployment of the corporate’s Bayraktar TB2 drone has been a significant component influencing conflicts from Syria to Azerbaijan and Ukraine, pushing Baykar into the worldwide highlight and remodeling it into a serious manufacturer and exporter.
The battle-proven TB2 drone is being sold to 24 countries including NATO member Poland, while the corporate signed deals with five countries for exports of its much larger sibling Akinci.
While the TB2 can lift off with as much as 150 kg (330 kilos) of missiles or equipment, Akinci, first delivered to Turkish armed forces last 12 months, can fly much higher and take off with 10 times the load.
The expanding order book is anticipated to net around $1 billion in export revenues this 12 months, Bayraktar said, about 50% higher than last 12 months’s $650 million, with an additional 50% growth expected in 2023.
Though Baykar isn’t the one military drone developer in Turkey, the TB2 has figured so prominently in conflicts that it now spearheads Turkey’s global defence export push. Last 12 months the corporate made up a fifth of Turkey’s $3.2 billion in defense exports, in line with data from Turkish Exporters Assembly.
The corporate will invest the revenues for expansion of production lines, Bayraktar said. “Our production capability with TB2, we do 20 units monthly. For 2023 our goal is to do minimum 30 (units) a month,” he said.
Research and development on the fast drone fighter jet Kizilelma, which analysts say represents significant expansion of capabilities for slow moving reconnaissance and missile carrying drones, will pick up as well, Bayraktar said.
Kizielma might be able to taking off from and landing on short-runway aircraft carriers, with a maiden flight expected in the following few months.
The TB3, a short-runway-capable version of the TB2, is anticipated to complete its testing phase by the top of 2023, Bayraktar said.
The corporate can be expanding its focus to space technologies to enhance its unmanned vehicle system. “We are actually investing in space technologies… Not well established segments, but recent areas where you’ll be able to bring recent revolutionary solutions,” Bayraktar said.
Baykar can be investing in some firms in its expanding supply chain. “We spend money on firms which bring value added items to our systems… in the sector of communications, optics, network architecture,” Bayraktar said.
(Reporting by Can Sezer; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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