According to a report published on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been in prolonged negotiations with a Turkish business responsible for innovative drones that have gained reputation for their important role in numerous conflicts, particularly in Ukraine.
The Middle East Eye cited unnamed sources saying that talks with Baykar had centred on a supply of up to 120 Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs.
In addition to ammunition, command and control centres, and training, the article estimates that the prospective sale might total roughly $2 billion (TL 36.4 billion).
Noted as having been ongoing since March are negotiations between Baykar and state enterprises within the Emirati arms procurement agency Tawazun. The meetings come as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates try to repair their strained economic ties.
Both countries’ leaders recently visited each other, and their meetings focused on expanding their cooperation across a variety of sectors, including defence. Midway through February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan returned to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a successful visit by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) to Ankara in late November.
According to the Middle East Eye story, some of the TB2’s components could be manufactured in a Baykar plant in the UAE if the drone contract goes through.
Conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Ukraine, revealed Bayraktar TB2’s capacity to destroy cutting-edge anti-aircraft systems, advanced artillery systems, and armoured vehicles.
It has become so important that it is leading Turkey’s efforts to expand its defence exports around the world.
Earlier this month, Baykar’s CEO Haluk Bayraktar announced that the company has inked contracts to supply TB2s to 24 nations, with exports now accounting for nearly half of the company’s profits this year.
Last month, Bayraktar announced the company had a three-year waitlist for the drones due to overwhelming demand. To far, Baykar claims to have produced over 400 TB2.
Its current goal is to increase output, which it plans to do in part by opening a factory in Ukraine. According to the CEO of Baykar, the company can presently produce 200 Bayraktar TB2s every year. Its goal is to increase that number to 500.
