Türkiye leads as top drone supplier: US think tank

ANKARA

Türkiye has emerged as the world’s largest supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles and armed drones, according to a U.S.-based think tank.

A report issued earlier this month by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) said Türkiye, China and the United States have collectively made 69 armed military drone sales to 40 different countries since 2018.

Türkiye alone accounts for 65 percent of those sales, with China contributing 26 percent and the U.S. only 8 percent.

While China’s dominance in the market peaked in 2014, Türkiye overtook it by 2021, becoming the top supplier, the report said.

Six new countries acquired unmanned aircraft in 2022, all of which were Bayraktar TB2s manufactured by the Turkish drone maker Baykar.

Baykar has seen a sharp rise in demand for its drones, especially after their use in the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. Turkish drones have also played roles in the conflicts in Ukraine, Libya and Syria.

Baykar, run by brothers Selçuk and Haluk Bayraktar, has exported 83 percent of its total production since its inception in the early 2000s. The company achieved $1.8 billion in exports last year, placing it among Türkiye's top 10 exporters across all sectors.

The Bayraktar brothers were also named the country’s largest taxpayers in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, the report said the days of American and Israeli dominance in the global drone market "are long gone," pointing to the emergence of low-cost alternatives from Türkiye, China and Iran.

"The entrance of China and Türkiye into the military drone marketplace has dramatically increased the number of global armed drone transfers," it added.