Türkiye dominates 65% of global UAV market, says Baykar Chairman Bayraktar

Selcuk Bayraktar, Chairman of Turkish defense firm Baykar, announced that Türkiye currently controls 65% of the global unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market during his speech at the SAHA EXPO 2024 International Defense, Aerospace Exhibition.

The event, organized by SAHA Istanbul, Europe’s largest industrial cluster, is taking place at the Istanbul Expo Center.

On the final day of the event, Bayraktar addressed participants, detailing Baykar’s UAV production processes and the National Technology Initiative, which emphasizes artificial intelligence.

He reflected on the early days of the Bayraktar Mini UAV’s development, noting that Türkiye’s defense industry was 85% reliant on foreign sources at the time. “Today, the localization rate for Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci has exceeded 90%,” he said.

Bayraktar emphasized the challenges faced in acquiring necessary technologies, stating, “At that time, we couldn’t even procure the family of munitions developed by Roketsan. Today, 65% of the global UAV market is controlled by Türkiye.”

TB3 UAVs enter mass production

In further developments, Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkish defense firm Baykar and brother of Selcuk Bayraktar, announces that Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) enters mass production and is expected to be exported within five to six months.

Speaking at SAHA EXPO 2024, he highlighted the expo’s significant growth, expanding from 10,000 square meters at its inception to 90,000 square meters this year.

“This year, 1,478 companies participated, including 766 international and 712 domestic firms,” he noted, emphasizing the event’s increasing global significance.

Türkiye’s defense exports reach $5.5B

Haluk Bayraktar also reported that Türkiye’s defense exports reached $5.5 billion last year, driven by a notable increase in artillery ammunition production, particularly from the private sector.

He highlighted an export deal exceeding $2 billion signed by ARCA, the main sponsor of SAHA EXPO 2024. “ARCA now produces more artillery shells in one month than the total produced in the entire American continent,” he stated.