Military gets eight new Turkey-made armed drones

The number of Turkey-made Bayraktar armed and reconnaissance drones in the Turkish security forces has increased to 38 after eight new deliveries.

Four of the newcomers are capable of carrying “smart ammunition.”

The Istanbul-based Baykar has delivered the “TB2” model Bayraktar armed drones to the military, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Oct. 13.

Four of them can carry the “Smart Micro Munition,” developed by another domestic company, Roketsan.

Some 26 of the Bayraktar TB2s are used by the Turkish Armed Forces, while the police and gendarmerie forces have six drones each.

The number of Bayraktar TB2s in the inventory in armed configuration is 15.

The operational flight duration of the drones reach 30,000 hours and can carry loads up to 100 kilograms.

The Bayraktar drones are widely used in the Turkish army’s counter-terrorism operations.

Some 986 militants inside the country and 867 abroad were “neutralized” in 562 operations backed by drones and manned reconnaissance aircraft in the first nine months of the year. Drones were used in operations by the gendarmerie during which 55 militants were “neutralized,” according to Anadolu Agency.

Turkish authorities use the word “neutralized” to refer to militants who have been either killed, wounded or captured.