Bayraktar Akinci B Completes Successful Test Flight with Full Weapon Load
Baykar, the Turkish technology company renowned for its innovations in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has achieved yet another milestone with its Bayraktar Akinci B High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). In a recent test flight, the Akinci B demonstrated its formidable capabilities by carrying a full complement of weaponry across all nine weapon stations. This accomplishment was shared with the world through a video released by the company, showcasing the Akinci B in action, laden with a payload that included three Teber-82s, one HGK-82, two MAM-Ls, a MAM-C, and a MAM-T, totaling a weight of 1,230 kilograms.
The Bayraktar Akinci B is a strategic-class platform, characterized by its unique fuselage and wing design, capable of carrying a wide array of payloads. What sets this UCAV apart is its incorporation of dual artificial intelligence avionics, enabling real-time signal processing, sensor fusion, and situational awareness. This advanced technology not only bolsters its air-to-ground capabilities but also equips it for air-to-air attack missions.
With a robust triple-redundant electronics hardware and software system, the Bayraktar Akinci can carry an impressive variety of payloads, including the Mini Smart Munition MAM-L and MAM-C, Cirit missile, L-UMTAS missile, Mini Smart Munition Bozok, MK-81, MK-82, MK-83 Guided Bombs (JDAM), Wing Assisted Guided Bomb MK-82, Air-to-Air missile Gokdogan and Bozdogan, and Stand-Off missile SOM-A. Furthermore, the Akinci is set to be outfitted with a multifunction AESA Radar system, catering to air-to-air combat, synthetic operations, and meteorology estimation.
Baykar’s Bayraktar Akinci UCAV is engineered to execute missions traditionally carried out by fighter jets, boasting electronic support systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and synthetic aperture radar. The aircraft possesses an impressive Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of over 5.5 tons, with more than 1350 kilograms dedicated to its payload.
The power behind the Bayraktar Akinci is derived from two turboprop engines, offering thrust capabilities of either 450 or 750 horsepower. Additionally, the UCAV comes equipped with electronic support and countermeasure systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and a national advanced synthetic aperture radar.
Baykar, a private Turkish defense company, has been at the forefront of UAV technology, C4I (Command Control Communications Computers and Intelligence), and artificial intelligence. Founded by the Bayraktar Brothers, Özdemir Bayraktar led the company until his passing, after which his sons, Selcuk and Haluk, assumed leadership. Baykar made history in 2007 by introducing the Bayraktar Mini UAV, the first unmanned aerial system entirely funded and produced domestically, which was subsequently integrated into the Turkish Armed Forces.
Baykar’s UAV portfolio includes a range of advanced UAVs, including the Bayraktar tactical UAS (Bayraktar TB1), Bayraktar TB2 UCAV, and the Bayraktar Akinci UCAV. Notably, in 2021, the Ukrainian military employed the Bayraktar TB2 in the Donbas conflict, marking a significant milestone in the operational history of these cutting-edge drones.
The successful test flight of the Bayraktar Akinci B UCAV loaded with its full complement of weaponry underscores the remarkable capabilities and innovation of Baykar in the field of unmanned aerial systems, promising a brighter and more efficient future for military aviation.
