Turkish drone magnate Baykar has delivered the first batch of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to Poland after signing an agreement back in 2021, a Baykar official said on Friday.
Selçuk Bayraktar, chief technology officer at Baykar, shared that the first shipment of six UCAVs had arrived in Poland.
He was speaking at the SAHA Expo defense and aviation fair that kicked off Tuesday and runs through Friday, hosting various domestic and foreign companies.
The fair witnessed major defense firms unveil their latest products for the first time.
Separately, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blazczak said Friday:
“There is no modern army without modern drones. Today marks a major stage in the Polish Armed Forces’ modernization. We are starting the process of equipping our soldiers with TB2 Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles. We use all means to make Poland safe.”
Speaking during a meeting with Polish soldiers, Blazczak said his country ordered the drones before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Polish official recalled that “at that time,” the country’s political opposition had criticized the purchase and said they had no use for the weapon.
“What is happening in Ukraine shows that they were wrong. We were right that it is an effective weapon. This weapon, in the hands of the Ukrainians, allows to effectively defend the territory of Ukraine,” he said.
The contract to supply the Polish Armed Forces with four batches of Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs was signed in May 2021. Each of the batches includes six armed Bayraktar TB2 drones and three mobile control stations. In total, 24 UCAVs will enter the Polish military’s inventory.The TB2s for Poland will be equipped with laser-guided glide missiles. The 12th UAV Base in Miroslawiec (West Pomerania) received the first set of drones.
The contract also includes the delivery of SAR radars, simulators and a stock of spare parts as well as the delivery of MAM-L and MAM-C laser-guided missiles that were developed by another Turkish defense giant, Roketsan and used by the Bayraktar UCAVs.
The contract will provide a 24-month warranty, a training and logistics package and a technology transfer ensuring the possibility of servicing and repairing, according to Polish media.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) class tactical UCAV capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks and combat missions using guided missiles. It has been equipped with an avionics system enabling fully autonomous taxiing, take-off, landing and flight. The drone is 6.5 meters (21 feet) long and has a span of 12 meters. It achieves a flight duration of up to 27 hours. The take-off weight of the drone is 650 kilograms (1,433 pounds), and the maximum speed is about 220 kph (136 mph).
Photo: Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blazczak speaks in front of the Polish Army’s newly received Bayraktar TB2 drones at a military base in Miroslawiec, Poland, Oct. 28, 2022 – @Poland_MOD
Source: Daily Sabah