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49-542: The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. , primarily for the Turkish Armed Forces . The aircraft are monitored and controlled by an aircrew in a ground control station, including weapons employment. The development of

98-473: A blended wing body design with an inverted V-tail structure. Thrust is generated by a variable pitch two-blade propeller in pusher configuration . The propeller is mounted between the tail booms and driven by an internal combustion engine located in the body. The monocoque platform is modular with detachable main items such as wing, tail boom, and V-tails. Fuselage pieces are made mostly of carbon fiber composite with machined aluminum parts at joints. Fuel

147-483: A helicopter . On 24 February, the day of invasion, four Bayraktar TB2 drones stationed at Chuhuiv Air base were abandoned and later destroyed on the ground by Ukrainian Forces, amid reported Russian rocket attacks. The People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic claimed it shot down two TB2 drones near the city of Luhansk. On 27 February, Ukraine's air force confirmed two strikes by TB2s on Russian convoys in

196-440: A triple-redundant flight control system with autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, and parking capability. The computerized flight control system is the primary component, programmed with sensor fusion algorithms that act on real-time sensor data. Mission-specific controls are handled through the mission-control computer system. The aerial platform is guided using various redundant rotary and linear servo actuators. All of

245-876: A "merger of equals" with Harris Corporation . In November 2021, Wescam moved its headquarters to a new production facility in Hamilton, Ontario . Wescam's primary product line is the MX-Series, which consists of MX-series turret families—the MX-8, MX-10, MX-15, MX-20 and MX-25. These are all controlled by the US ITAR . They are currently used by defence , homeland security , and law enforcement agencies as well as in televised sporting events, such as NASCAR . These products are typically mounted on fixed-wing , rotor-wing , UAV and Aerostat airborne platforms and also on numerous armoured vehicles, and marine-based platforms. Introduced in 2009,

294-498: A Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine. Upon learning this, Baykar will give a Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania free of charge and asks those funds go to Ukraine for humanitarian aid." From the beginning of the invasion to late June, Ukraine received over 50 TB2s. On 28 June, Defence Minister Reznikov announced that Baykar would be devoting all of its capacities to meet the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces, fulfilling its requirement for "dozens more" of

343-525: A Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defenses of the Armenian army over Nagorno-Karabakh . On 8 November 2020, another Azerbaijani Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by air defense, in southeastern Nagorno-Karabakh. As part of its military modernization program, the Armed Forces of Ukraine purchased 12 Bayraktar TB2s in 2019. In January 2019, Baykar signed an agreement with Ukrspetsproject, part of Ukroboronprom , for

392-450: A Bayraktar TB2 was shot down over Kyiv; Russia published images of the drone wreckage. A second TB2 drone was shot down on 29 March 2022, in eastern Ukraine. On 2 April a third TB-2 drone was shot down. On 12 April 2022, one Bayraktar TB2 was claimed to have been shot down by Russian frigate  Admiral Essen off the coast of Crimea . On 13 April 2022, Ukrainian sources claimed at least two R-360 Neptune missiles were responsible for

441-414: A TB2 drone attacked and destroyed a Russian Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter as it was unloading passengers on Snake Island. In the same deployment, a TB2 drone destroyed a Tor missile launcher on the island, while a second launcher was destroyed as it was being unloaded from a landing craft. This cleared the way for a bombing run by a Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' aircraft against buildings on

490-856: A goal of around US$ 5–5.5 million for the unit. That is around one-sixth of the price for the US-built Reaper UAV, albeit with the TB2 capable of carrying only one-tenth the payload of the Reaper. The Turkish military's use of the TB2 gained prominence in counterinsurgency operations against sites of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and People's Protection Units (YPG) that were in Iraq and Syria. On 30 June 2018, one Turkish Air Force Bayraktar TB2 crashed due to technical problems in Hatay province, Turkey. In early 2018,

539-635: A major problem, and that, as of January 2021, all of those components have been replaced by locally manufactured alternatives. However, the majority of Baykar's customers—including Ukraine, Poland, Morocco, and Kuwait—declined to purchase the Aselsan CATS electro-optical turret and opted to order the Wescam MX-15D through an authorized distributor. Reasons include a weight increase from 45 to 61 kg (99 to 134 lb), general performance, and compatibility with existing fleets. The Bayraktar TB2 platform has

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588-721: A new combat tactical aerial vehicle system at the request of the Presidency of Defense Industries , after the experiences of its first tactical UAV, the Bayraktar Çaldıran or Bayraktar TB1 , delivered to the Turkish army in 2011. The Bayraktar TB2 made its maiden flight in August 2014. On 18 December 2015, a video was published of a test firing of a missile from the Bayraktar TB2, a result of a collaboration with Roketsan . Roketsan's MAM and TUBITAK-SAGE 's BOZOK laser-guided bombs were tested for

637-747: A number of other nations around the world in various wars, such as by Azerbaijan in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War , by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine , as well as by the Ethiopian National Defense Force during the Tigray War . The development of the Bayraktar TB2 was spurred by a U.S. ban on exports of armed unmanned aircraft to Turkey due to concerns that they would be used against PKK groups inside and outside Turkey. Baykar started developing

686-483: A passenger of a car, a suspected member of a Kurdish rebel group. In 2022, Turkish drone strikes, including Bayraktar drones, killed 50 SDF fighters and 10 civilians. In June 2019, international news media reported that Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) used Bayraktar TB2s to strike an airbase held by General Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). Despite the UN embargo on Libya's ongoing civil war , it

735-748: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wescam In 1959, the military division of Westinghouse Canada developed a stabilized camera mount for the Canadian Defense Research Establishment. The product was named WESSCAM - Westinghouse Steered Stabilized Camera Mount. In 1974, WESSCAM inventor Nox Leavitt purchased the lab equipment and patents from Westinghouse and founded Istec Limited, Isolation Stabilization Technologies. The company had 17 employees and generated approximately $ 1 million in revenue. It experienced substantial expansion through internal growth and strategic acquisitions. This brought complementary technologies into

784-403: Is a compact Multi-Sensor, Multi-Spectral imaging system for surveillance missions from light aircraft. The Wescam MX-10 thermal imaging system houses two cameras. A color camera used primarily during the day can read an object the size of a license plate from more than 750 feet away. The second camera, an infrared thermal imager, can be used during the day and at night. Infrared technology permits

833-426: Is configured with six aerial vehicle platforms, two ground control stations, three ground data terminals (GDT), two remote video terminals (RVT), and ground support equipment. Each aerial platform is equipped with a triply-redundant avionics system. Its ground control system's cross-redundant architecture allows for pilot, payload operator, and mission commander to command, control, and monitor the platform. The TB2 has

882-466: Is stored within bladder tanks and fuel consumption is balanced with solenoid valves . The ground control station (GCS) is based on a NATO -spec shelter unit, which is equipped with cross-redundant command and control systems. The mobile unit supports three personnel: pilot, payload operator, and mission commander. The GCS is equipped with redundant air conditioners and nuclear, biological, and chemical filtration (NBC) filtering units. All hardware inside

931-503: Is suspected that at least 3 Bayraktar TB2s were being used over Tripoli by the government forces. Video evidence, as early as 11 June 2019, showed at least one TB2 flying over Tripoli about to land at Mitiga International Airport 's military section, under control of GNA-allied forces. In June 2020, the Defence Minister of Azerbaijan, Zakir Hasanov , announced that Azerbaijan had decided to purchase Bayraktar drones from Turkey. During

980-414: The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war , Bayraktar TB2s were used against the Armed Forces of Armenia with great success. Azerbaijan used TB2s to destroy Armenian artillery, infantry positions, and military vehicles, including BM-30 Smerch MLRS , T-72 tanks , and BMP-1 and BMP-2 IFVs . Nine Osa and Strela-10 air defense systems were also destroyed by Azerbaijani drones, likely TB2s. On 19 October 2020,

1029-597: The 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake . The drones have been instrumental in providing continuous updates and data to the crisis-response team for damage detection and search-and-rescue support, along with coordination activities. On 20 June 2023, a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone crashed in Qandil, northern lraq. The wreck fell in an area under Kurdish militia control. In March 2020 Bayraktar TB2s, Anka-S UAVs, and an array of Koral electronic jammers were deployed and extensively used in coordinated action to strike Syrian army targets on

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1078-671: The Kherson and Zhytomyr regions. The chief of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk , called the UAV system "life-giving". The popularity of the drone in Ukraine led to a song, " Bayraktar ", which praised the drone while also insulting the Russian army and its invasion. Ukrainian drones appear to be equipped with anti-jamming antennas. They appear to use MAM -C and MAM-L laser-guided bombs. Traditional search radars appear to struggle against

1127-670: The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey , to kill the senior (PKK) leader and board member of the Kurdistan Communities Union İsmail Özden in Sinjar District , northwestern Iraq . On 16 May 2021, one Bayraktar TB2 crashed in Zebari, northern Iraq; Kurdish militants claimed to have shot down the drone. A total of 37 Turkish Bayraktar TB2s successfully flew over 1551 hours in the earthquake zone of

1176-546: The Bayraktar TB2 complex was delivered to the navy in July 2021. During a Russian military buildup in Crimea and near Ukraine's borders, a TB2 conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Donbas region on 9 April 2021. This was the first operational use of the aircraft by Ukrainian forces within an active conflict zone . In October 2021, a TB2 drone was used for the first time in combat during

1225-526: The British newspaper The Guardian , the arming of the Bayraktar TB2 would not have been possible without the help of the UK Hornet micro-munitions bomb rack by EDO MBM Technology Ltd . The bomb rack was provided to Turkey in 2015, and a variant of it was integrated into the aircraft by EDO MBM and Roketsan. In response to The Guardian newspaper article, Baykar Chief Technical Officer Selçuk Bayraktar denied that

1274-517: The MX-10 is Wescam's newest imaging system. Its fully integrated weight is 38 pounds (17 kg). It has a 10-inch (25 cm) diameter and stands 14 inches (36 cm) tall. This small size and low weight reduce the weight and clearance requirements for installation on manned and unmanned airborne platforms. The MX-10 can incorporate several different types of sensors (up to six), including high-definition daylight and infrared sensors. Wescam has been in

1323-579: The MX-15D ( Designator variant ) and the MX-15GS (Ground System variant). These imaging systems are usually installed on manned fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The price for a single set is above $ 1 million US Dollars. Of the MX-Series, the MX-20 is the largest imaging system, weighing in at up to 198 pounds (90 kg). It has a diameter of 21 inches (53 cm) and a height of 26 inches (66 cm). This larger system

1372-641: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish industry responded to foreign sales boycotts by announcing provision of domestically manufactured alternatives, including the TEI-PD170 engine (manufactured by TEI ), fuel valves, and the CATS FLIR system (manufactured by Aselsan ). Integration tests with that system started on 6 November 2020. Turkish defense industry researcher Kadir Doğan tweeted that cancellation of sales of components to Baykar by foreign companies did not pose

1421-476: The TB2 because of its slow speed and size, which give it a low radar cross section. One radar that was destroyed on 7 May appeared to be actively scanning just prior to supposedly being hit, although Russian units reportedly turn off their own radars to reduce the radar being detected and targeted. The drone can also be deployed within minutes and launched from a normal road. On 26 February 2022, two TB2 drones were claimed shot down near Shchastia . On 17 March 2022,

1470-494: The Turkish military combined UAV and artillery tactics in Syria against the YPG. According to Turkey the use of armed responsible for 449 terrorists being killed or wounded, and TB2s, in combined operations, assisted in the neutralization of 680 more. On 15 August 2018, Turkish Land Forces successfully used a Bayraktar TB2 in a joint cross-border operation , of the Turkish Armed Forces and

1519-502: The UAV has been largely credited to Selçuk Bayraktar , a former MIT graduate student. By November 2021, the TB2 drone had completed 400,000 flight hours globally. The largest operator of TB2 drones is the Turkish military, but an export model has been sold to the militaries of a number of other countries. Turkey has used the drone extensively in strikes on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and People's Protection Units (YPG) targets in Iraq and Syria. Bayraktar drones were later deployed by

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1568-598: The aircraft. In July 2022, Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, stated in an interview that his company would never supply Russia with its drones as he supports Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle flies at an altitude window of 10,000 to 30,000 feet (3,000–9,000 m) for extended durations of time, typically 24 to 48 hours . This list includes both unmanned combat aerial vehicle and unmanned reconnaissance aerial vehicle . This article on an unmanned aerial vehicle

1617-522: The arrival of additional TB2 drones. According to video footage released by the armed forces, TB2 drones have successfully destroyed, on different occasions, a Russian command post, military vehicles—including tanks , IFVs , and different types of trucks— surface-to-air missile systems (including Buk and Tor systems), self-propelled artillery , multiple rocket launcher (MLRS), howitzers , and an electronic warfare system . The drone also reportedly destroyed two Russian fuel trains, patrol boats , and

1666-491: The avionics supports autonomous emergency landings on different airfields if necessary. Sensor fusion algorithms, including an inertial navigation system , allow navigation and auto landing even with loss of global positioning signals . Baykar has not stated a price, but has republished on its website several news reports about crowdfunding campaigns launched in 2022 in Europe to buy Bayraktar UAVs for Ukraine, all of them fixing

1715-623: The bomb rack came from the UK. "We are not buying it from you, we never did. It not only does not work under any circumstances but is also very expensive", Bayraktar said on Twitter. "We have designed and manufactured a more advanced and cost-effective one ourselves." On 19 August 2020 the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) disclosed details of a six-year history of exports of the Hornet bomb rack to Turkey between 2014 and 2020, suggesting that supply of

1764-533: The company and broadened its intellectual capability and market share. In 1994, Istec changed its name to Wescam and in 1995 Wescam went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange . In 2002, L3 Technologies acquired Wescam. As part of L3 Technologies, Wescam has expanded its presence in the U.S., and increased its base of products and service offerings to customers. In June 2019, L3 Wescam became L3Harris Wescam when their parent company – L3 Technologies – had

1813-563: The critical technology to Turkey had continued well beyond the development stage of the Bayraktar TB2 and right up to the publication of the Guardian story in November 2019. 18 Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications were submitted by EDO MBM Technology between 2014 and 2020 for exports of goods 'related to Hornet Bomb Racks / Hornet Missile Launchers' for end-users in Turkey. Of these, 16 of

1862-487: The destruction of seven Bayraktar TB2s by 5 March 2020. However, there is only visual evidence for three Bayraktar drones being shot down. On 23 August 2020, another Bayraktar TB2 drone was shot down by Syrian air defenses near Kafr Nabl , Idlib, after being detected spotting targets for Syrian rebels. On 22 October 2021, Turkey struck the Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab using Bayraktar TB2s, destroying several vehicles and killing

1911-633: The first time. The aircraft previously relied on imported and regulated components and technologies such as Rotax 912 engines (manufactured in Austria) and optoelectronics ( FLIR sensors imported from Wescam in Canada or Hensoldt from Germany). Bombardier Recreational Products , owner of Rotax , suspended delivery of their engines to certain countries in October 2020, after becoming aware of their military use despite being certified for civil use only. According to

1960-503: The flight crew to see objects that may otherwise go undetected at night. The MX-10 system costs more than 400.000 US Dollars. The MX-15 is Wescam's most popular family of imaging systems. This turret can weigh up to 100 pounds (45 kg) with a diameter of 15.5 inches (39 cm) and a height of 19 inches (48 cm). The MX-15 Family includes the MX-15, the MX-15HDi (High-Definition variant),

2009-500: The ground during Operation Spring Shield , launched by Turkey following losses the Turkish forces incurred at the hands of the Russian forces in northwestern Syria at the end of February 2020. The deployment was assessed by experts to be a success and a tactical game-changer. During the week of fighting, Turkish drones took out 73 Syrian armed vehicles. Russian sources said that the Russian-backed Syrian air defences claimed

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2058-566: The island. On 23 May 2022, the remains of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2, tail number 75 , were found in Romanian territorial waters by Romanian authorities. The drone was likely shot down during the Snake Island attacks of 7 May. On 28 May 2022 Lithuanian citizens fundraised $ 3.2 million, out of the $ 5.37 million unit cost, to buy a single Bayraktar TB2 drone for Ukraine. On 2 June, Baykar said: "The people of Lithuania have honorably raised funds to buy

2107-483: The licences were granted. In October 2020, the drone's use of the Canadian Wescam MX-15D system was disclosed after Armenian officials claimed that remains of a MX-15D system had been recovered from a downed TB2 drone during the nation's conflict with Azerbaijan. That triggered the stopping of MX-15D exports to Turkey while an investigation by Global Affairs Canada evaluates the use of Canadian technology in

2156-443: The main airborne avionics equipment, software, and hardware are under constant development. The electronic power supply for the onboard systems is supported with triple alternators and balanced, smart lithium-ion battery units. A ruggedized heated camera unit is placed in the tail section of the platform to monitor flight, and all payload and telemetry data are saved to the airborne data recorder . The redundant architecture of

2205-522: The process of creating variations of the MX-10 for use in a wider range of applications. The MX-10GS (GS: Ground System) has been adapted for mounting on a ground vehicle where it can sit atop a mast or tower for a higher point of view, whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. The MX-10MS (MS:Marinized System) has also been created, and Zyvex Technologies has operated it on the Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). WESCAM's MX 10

2254-681: The purchase of six TB2s and 3 ground control stations worth US$ 69 million for the Ukrainian army. Ukraine received the first batch of the UAVs in March 2019. After successful testing of the aircraft, the Ukrainian Navy placed a separate order for six TB2s, to be delivered in 2021, according to navy officials. Meanwhile, Turkish and Ukrainian officials announced the establishment of a joint venture to produce 48 additional Bayraktar TB2s in Ukraine . The first batch of

2303-536: The shelter is placed inside racked cabinets. Each operator has dual screens in front, along with the operator interface software used for real-time command, control, and monitoring. While the Turkish Armed Forces describe Bayraktar TB2 as "Tactical UAV Class" to prevent it from being a competitor to the TAI Anka UAV, international standards would classify it as a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV . Each TB2

2352-797: The sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva – causing an explosion on one of the ship's exposed deckside missile tubes. Drones, likely TB2s, were alleged to have helped decoy the cruiser's defences. On 26 and 27 April, three additional TB2 drones were destroyed, two in Kursk Oblast and the third in Belgorod Oblast , Russia, by a Pantsir-S1 . On 1 May, a TB2 drone with registration S51T was shot down in Kursk region, Russia. TB2 losses amounted to seven units confirmed visually. On 2 May, Bayraktar drones operated by Ukraine attacked and destroyed two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats near Snake Island . On 7 May,

2401-547: The war, targeting a Russian separatist artillery position, destroying a D-30 howitzer , and halting the bombardment of Ukrainian troops near Hranitne . During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , TB2 drones were used by Ukraine's armed forces against Russian forces and equipment. In January, prior to the invasion, the spokesperson for the air force command, Lt. Col. Yuri Ihnat, stated that "Ukraine has approximately 20 Bayraktar drones, but we will not stop there". On 2 March, Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov announced

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