Poland Receives Final Bayraktar TB2 Combat Drones from Turkey
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has completed delivery of 24 Bayraktar TB2 armed unmanned aerial systems to Poland, fulfilling a $270 million contract signed in 2021. The final batch was handed over in a ceremony on May 16th attended by officials from both nations.
Under the deal, Poland procured a total of four TB2 systems, each consisting of six aircraft and three ground control stations. Baykar had previously delivered the first six TB2s to Poland in October 2022.
“We have successfully completed the export of high-tech combat drones to a NATO and EU member country for the first time in Turkey’s history,” said Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar.
TB2 Combat Capabilities
The Bayraktar TB2 is a powerful armed reconnaissance and strike drone capable of unleashing precision munitions including laser-guided bombs and anti-tank missiles. It features advanced avionics enabling autonomous taxiing, take-off, landing and cruising.
With a 27 hour endurance and 300 km control range, the TB2 can loiter for extended periods providing intelligence, surveillance and battlefield reconnaissance. It can simultaneously designate targets for artillery and deliver its own precision airstrikes.
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The drones proved instrumental for Ukrainian forces in the early stages of the war, taking out armored vehicles, disrupting supply lines and providing real time targeting data. Their performance helped drive rapid global export interest in the system.
Poland’s Drone Expansion Plans
Poland has not officially stated its planned deployment for the newly arrived TB2 fleet. Ukraine has requested the drones from allied nations, raising the possibility some could be transferred.
The TB2 acquisition is part of Poland’s broader push to expand its military drone capabilities. In 2022, it signed contracts for loitering munitions from Turkey and has initiated domestic programs for armed and unarmed systems.
As regional tensions with Russia persist, Poland aims to quickly build out an effective unmanned combat aviation capability. The newly arrived Bayraktar TB2s provide an immediately available solution enhancing intelligence gathering and strike capacities for Polish forces.
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