MERSIN, Turkey – Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has delivered to Poland the latest batch of Bayraktar TB2 combat systems ordered for $270 million, the company announced.
Poland signed a deal for the drones and associated equipment in May 2021. The contract provided for the delivery of four systems, each with six aircraft and three ground control stations.
Baykar first delivered six TB2s in October 2022 during a ceremony at the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base in Poland.
On May 16, it completed the shipment of a total of 24 TB2s at an event in Poland. Those present included Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister, the head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Presidency and Baykar’s general manager.
Haluk Bayraktar, who heads the company, wrote on social media site X on Thursday that the company “has delivered the last system of our Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs to Poland. For the first time in Turkey’s history, we have successfully completed the export of high-tech UCAVs to Turkey [both] a NATO and EU member state.”
Defense News has contacted the Polish Ministry of Defense for comment on how the drones will be used and whether Ukraine will receive them.
Ukraine is currently fighting a Russian invasion involving drone warfare. The TB2 made headlines when Ukrainian forces used them against Russia early in the war.
The long-endurance, mid-altitude drone can aid in reconnaissance, target identification for artillery and precision strikes. It features an advanced avionics suite with a system that enables autonomous taxiing, take-off, landing and cruising.
