It seems that this year at least once heard or read about a Turkish drone with the unusual name “Bayraktar”. At the moment, he managed to move in the information field and America MQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global hawkRussia “Orion” and S-70 “Hunter”.
Let’s try to figure out what the Turkish “Band-bearer” (Bayraktar in Turkish) really is, what are his secrets and how he managed to get around much more advanced counterparts.
A little about the “Turkish Elon Musk”
The development and production of Bayraktar TB2 drones is carried out by Selcuk Bayraktar (it seems it is already clear where the name of the drone comes from?) – one of the youngest aviation geeks in modern history.
Today he is only 44 years old (however, according to his own statement, he is the oldest engineer in the company), which is quite a bit for the chief designer. And if it is revealed that drones have been developing independently before, we can assume that there is really no dose of Bayraktar today. It’s about the person, of course.
Properties of an active lifestyle in social networks. On Twitter, which talks about Turkish history and the latest in the aviation industry, the author has more than 2 million followers.
No wonder the international press caused him to be the “Elon Musk” of aviation. Fact: he lives with his family on the territory of his own technological complex.
In her free time, Selçuk is the wife of the Turkish president’s daughter. But this cause only support for engineer.
What are the characteristics of the Bayraktar engine
There are a lot of direct manufacturers of Bayraktar TB2 on the market. It uses a twin-beam pusher design often found on slow high-flying reconnaissance drones.
Characteristics Turkish drone not impress:
▪ length 6.5 meters
▪ wingspan 12 meters
▪ weight 650 kg
▪ maximum flight altitude 8 kilometers
▪ 300 liters of fuel (enough for 27 hours of flight)
The body is made of composite materials. At the same time allows you to improve aerodynamics.
A two-beam scheme with a pusher propeller increased its range, speed (only 130 kilometers per hour) and consumption of operation. Therefore, to solve the tasks set, completely different drones with a much greater payload and speed are required.
Range of flight TB2 is also not impressive: the range of the complex is only 150 kilometers from the control station.
The guidance system turns out to be ground-based, but it works successfully
It is not surprising that the combat load of the apparatus is small. The class does not allow the use of oversized aviation services. TB2 is too small for them with its payload of 150 kilograms, of which 55 “eats” the standard target designation module (instead of it, an active phased array radar can be obtained, which is unique for this class of drones), and about 20 more kg assemble modular electronic devices. optical and infrared cameras.
This is usually enough for 1 rocket or intelligence systems. But in Turkey they thought differently.
What is armed with “Bayraktar”
Due to the low environmental impact of Bayraktar TB2 and its own aviation industry (read – there are no aviation societies paying for Russian and US warehouses piled up),
▪ anti-tank missile UMTAS weighing 37.5 kg
▪ 16 kg Bozok gliding bomb
▪ Adjustable gliding bomb MAM-C (high-explosive fragmentation or armor-piercing incendiary warhead) weighing 6.5 kg
▪ corrective glide bomb MAM-L (high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing or thermobaric warhead) weighing 22 kg
In each flight, he will take 2-4 berets under the wing. This is a significant difference from all conventional unmanned systems, among which the use of standard larger caliber variants is preferred.
A striking consequence could be the Russian S-70 Okhotnik. Just like the American Predator. Provided with a high load are anti-tank missiles, aerial bombs of standard caliber (the load of the C-70 is, in different sizes, from 2 to 8 tons!)
The tasks of Bayraktar’s classmates are IAI Heron From Israel, “Hawk” from Belarus, “Outpost” From Russia, RQ-7 Shadow from the USA, most often with the use of tactical intelligence, the availability of means for target designation. Their payload was lower.
Russian “Hunter” against the background of Bayraktar – like a high-quality bomber next to the “corn”
So what is the technical advantage of Bayraktar? He inconspicuous, slow. Air defense is difficult to respond to this target. In addition, the engineers equipped it with a radio suppression system, which regulated the control of ground systems at short distances up to a kilometer.
The main advantage of Bayraktar
The most important reason for the success of the Turkish drone is price. One of the misfortunes committed in 2019 was that the buyer purchased sixty-nine million dollars. Comparable number of strike drones Reaper American production would cost six times more.
In this regard, both the delivery of the aircraft itself and the maintenance complex, a three-month external examination of the pilot, and ends with a full service and supply of spare parts arise.
Simple operation: efficiency of use even by students on “satisfactory”.
By the way, about spare parts: unlike other combat drones that use aviation design and manufacturing standards, Bayraktar is assembled “from what was.” Where the Americans choose especially high reliability, and Russia conducts many years of testing, the Turks use conventional units from other selected ones.
Their reliability is declining, but the TB2 flies low, small and slow, so there is no cause for concern. But the cost of operation (and, especially, repair) is reduced by a multiple. As well as the cost of the original device.
Turkish ersatz aircraft carrier for Bayraktar
It is possible that for each drone, the Turkish manufacturer provides “airfield complex” for service and start up. If necessary – and a device that allows the aircraft to launch from small areas (for example, directly from the back of a truck). A launch option is coming soon with ships capable of stable behavior on oscillating platforms.
Thanks to continuous supply and low price, Bayraktar has been able to conquer the market of developing countries. Today they are delivered (or were delivered) to Ukraine, Azerbaijan (it was in Nagorno-Karabakh that the real baptism of the “Banners” took place, which revealed their development of the side), Nigeria, Ethiopia, Qatar, Libya, Morocco and Poland.
Such a scary video game
free sale different from production. Russia and the US do not sell combat drones to third countries. The exception will be the closest allies. This applies to both reconnaissance vehicles of countries such as the Bayraktar TB2, as well as faster ones found to directly detect strikes on the ground.
Only drones were also active on the market. Aviation defense systems From Israel. Their cost is much higher than the Middle Eastern neighbor offers. In addition, they sell devices selectively, avoiding representatives of constituencies.
Combat efficiency was higher
Sea-based Bayraktar fantasy tests
Turkey itself is also actively using TB2 in the fight against conflicts in Iraq, as well as in internal conflicts, conducting police operations using drones. The device flies quietly, low, can bypass the surface – it turns out an ejection weapon where a long range and flight altitude are not required.
The operator can be in a neighboring house, the drone itself can be transported in the back of a truck and start with a short strip in semi-automatic or automatic mode without human intervention, which allows you to control several devices at the same time. The Standard Bearer’s navigation does not use glitched GPS.
As a result, practice has shown that TB2 is more commonly identified by sound. It does not matter the small flow rate for use in single water.
Bayraktar fights close to the target and makes very little noise. Air defense often overlooks the size of the targeting, especially if it is accompanied by small civilian drones.
Reaper is more accurate, but bigger and more expensive. And it’s only sold to best friends
This study of Bayraktar TB2 is the most effective drone ever: first Karabakh, then Syria, quelling the insurgency in Iraq and Ukraine. The history of the war in Angola repeated itself again: a converted light aircraft became the “king” because it avoids the use of harmlessness.
How long the victorious procession of the Bayraktars will continue is unknown. Already, anti-aircraft missile systems are actively used against them. “Thor”showing almost 100% efficiency.
Turkey has an updated engine and the ability to install any compact electronic systems with increased survivability. And, of course, the price, due to which the opposing sides can buy and simultaneously launch a swarm of “Banners” to break through even advanced defenses.
Even if they are respected, the price is impossible: virtually any Turkish drone armored military vehicle. As they happen, as long as the actively researching combat use of American and Russian developers do not represent the decrepit.
But this takes time. In the meantime, Bayraktar TB2 remains the most talked about aircraft in the world, even if its development, construction and operation are not at all according to the canon.
Source: Iphones RU
