BAYRAKTAR TB2 UCAV TO SAFEGUARD CROATIAN SKIES

A historic agreement for the export of Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs was signed in Zagreb between Baykar and the Ministry of Defense of Croatia. The Bayraktar TB2, Türkiye’s leading defense platform, will join Croatia’s security forces inventory and begin operations in Croatian airspace.

ZAGREB
November 21, 2024

Baykar, the world’s largest unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) company, has signed a landmark agreement to export the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV to Croatia. The signing ceremony took place in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, with Croatia’s Minister of Defense Ivan Anusic and Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar officiating.

OPERATING IN NATO AND EU SKIES
This agreement marks another NATO and European Union (EU) member nation adding the Bayraktar TB2 to its inventory, reaffirming Baykar's global leadership. The Bayraktar TB2, described by experts as a UCAV transforming the nature of warfare, is favored by countries in Asia, Africa, and NATO and EU member states. As of November 2024, Türkiye’s indigenous UCAVs have been operational in the inventories of six NATO and four EU member countries.

CLOSING IN ON ONE MILLION FLIGHT HOURS
Having originally entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in 2014, the Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs are manufactured with a 93% localization rate and have operated globally. As of September 2024, they surpassed 950,000 flight hours, becoming the longest-serving Turkish aviation asset in history.

SETTING RECORDS
The Bayraktar TB2 holds significant records in Türkiye’s aviation history, including a national altitude record of 27,030 feet in its class. On July 16, 2019, during a demo flight in Kuwait, the aircraft flew continuously for 27 hours and 3 minutes under extreme conditions, including high temperatures and sandstorms, setting another milestone.

A WORLD FIRST: UCAV PERFORMING BARREL ROLL
Making history in aviation, the Bayraktar TB2 became the world’s first and only UCAV to autonomously perform a barrel roll maneuver during test flights on May 31, 2024. This advanced escape maneuver, common for fighter jets, had never been successfully executed by any UCAV before.

THE HERO OF KARABAKH
Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs have played critical roles in Türkiye’s counter-terrorism efforts as well as excelled in international operations. They demonstrated their capabilities in various conflicts, including being pivotal in ending the 30-year occupation of Karabakh.

FROM EARTHQUAKES TO WILDFIRE RESPONSE
Beyond security operations, Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs have been instrumental in civil missions, such as disaster response, search and rescue operations, irregular migration monitoring, and combating forest fires. During the Elazığ earthquake on January 24, 2020, and the Kahramanmaraş earthquake on February 6, 2023, Bayraktar TB2s provided critical aerial support. In wildfire management, between 2020 and 2024, they detected 4,091 fires at an early stage, preventing their spread.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Baykar has self-funded all its projects since inception, deriving 83% of its revenues from exports since the start of its UCAV R&D process in 2003. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among Türkiye's top 10 exporters across all industries. Baykar has led the defense and aviation sector in exports, as confirmed by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) for 2021, 2022, and 2023. The company, which generated more than 90% of its revenue through exports in recent years, single-handedly accounted for one third of Türkiye’s defense and aviation exports in 2023. With 97.5% of its signed contracts stemming from exports, Baykar continues to expand its global reach. To date, Baykar has signed export agreements for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV with 34 countries and for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV with 10 countries, totaling agreements with 35 nations.