Bayraktar TB2 plant in Ukraine: what final steps are needed

[Cabatli_TR]

The Cabinet of Ministers is accelerating efforts to streamline the regulatory framework, and thus launch the process of buying land for a plant for the production of drones​

Turkey is demonstrating new successes in the implementation of its program for the production of unmanned reconnaissance and strike systems, driven by Baykar Defense.
In particular, on May 19 this year, the first serial model of the Akinci UAV , equipped with Ukrainian AI-450 engines manufactured by Ivchenko-Progress, performed its first flight .

Read also: Example for Ukraine: Kazakhstan is systematically working to provide the UAV army

The Akinci drone has already been armed with a MAM-T guided bomb with a range of more than 30 kilometers, as well as a cruise missile with a range of 250 kilometers. Russian air defense against this is powerless
A few days later, on May 24 this year, Baykar Defense CEO Haluk Bayraktar and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Polish President Andrzej Duda, signed a contract to supply unmanned reconnaissance and strike systems. Poland.

Contract signing ceremony between Turkey and Poland for the supply of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles
Under the terms of the agreement, Turkey is to supply Poland with four complexes, which will include ground control stations (GCS), ground data terminals (GDT) and 24 Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles. These UAVs will also be supplied with MAM-C and MAM-L guided ammunition manufactured by the Turkish company Roketsan.

The head of the Polish Defense Ministry stressed that Poland chose the Bayraktar TB2 complex precisely because of its extraordinary firepower, which has no other similar complexes in the world. He also stressed that for more than 10 years the Polish military has been striving to obtain a complex with exactly the same characteristics as the Bayraktar TB2.


Such significant events are an occasion to mention the plan of organization and construction in Ukraine of a plant for the production of unmanned systems developed by Baykar Defense. And here it is worth recalling the chronology of events.
In July 2020, Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Yagmur Ahmet Guldere announced that Kyiv and Ankara were negotiating the joint development and production of Bayraktar drones in Ukraine.

In October 2020, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky stated: Turkey is ready to invest and build a new enterprise for the production of Bayraktar TB2 drones and other types of UAVs developed by Baykar Makina.
Such plans were officially formalized on December 14, 2020, when the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Taran and the Head of the Secretariat of the Defense Industry of the Republic of Turkey Ismail Demir signed the relevant Memorandum .

In 2021, the Armed Forces of Ukraine must receive at least five more Bayraktar TB2 complexes
Six months have passed since this event. And at first glance, there is reason to ask - why has not yet started construction of a plant for the production of Turkish-designed drones in Ukraine?
Defense Express was able to find out the following. In theory, you can start the physical process of building a plant for the production of Turkish UAVs in Ukraine in accordance with the Law of Ukraine №1116-IX "On state support of investment projects with significant investments in Ukraine."

Bayraktar TB2 complex production plant in Ukraine will also be the first such enterprise on the European continent
But in order for this law to work in practice, in particular - for the implementation of a joint project with Baykar Defense, the Cabinet had to develop an appropriate package of legal documents. And now, according to Defense Express, such work of the government is at the final stage.
In turn, according to Defense Express, Baykar held an international competition for the best design project of the future company, which was attended by about 250 architects and architectural firms. The results of this competition can be found at this link.
The main conclusion in this situation - Baykar Defense demonstrates its serious intentions to complete the project of establishing a UAV plant in Ukraine. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers should not slow down in order to complete its work and create all the conditions for the emergence of enterprises in Ukraine, which will produce Turkish unmanned systems.
The very fact of the emergence of such an enterprise will be the best evidence that our state provides the conditions for investment. And also - will be a symbol of strategic cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey.

Baykar Defense already accounts for 7% of the world's military UAV supply market

Завод з виробництва Bayraktar TB2 в Україні: які потрібні фінальні кроки | Defense Express

Кабмін прискорює зусилля, щоб впорядкувати нормативну базу, і так запустити процес купівлі землі під завод з виробництва безпілотників

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