First Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAV retires after 10,000 flight hours
Selcuk Bayraktar, Board Chairman of Baykar is speaking at the retirement ceremony of Bayraktar TB2. (via Baykar)
The Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), tail number S5, which entered the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory in 2014, has officially retired after completing 10,000 hours of flight time. This milestone makes it the first UAV in the Bayraktar TB2 fleet to reach its maximum airframe lifespan.
Bayraktar TB2 S5 will now serve in new way
Baykar, the company behind the development of Bayraktar TB2, announced the UAV’s retirement and celebrated its achievements. Bayraktar TB2 S5 will now serve in a new capacity, being used for training and test flights to support research on airframe life cycles.
Our UAV with tail number S5 Bayraktar TB2 , which has served alongside Turkish soldiers in all major operations since the day it entered the inventory of our glorious army, has successfully completed 10,000 hours of flight duty. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed… Since joining the inventory of our glorious army, our Bayraktar TB2 UAV, with tail number S5, has successfully completed 10,000 flight hours, serving alongside our soldiers in all major operations. I extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed.
Selcuk Bayraktar, Board Chairman of Baykar / CTO
Significant contributions to Türkiye’s defense operations
Since entering service, the S5 Bayraktar TB2 played a critical role in various military operations, including the Hendek Operations, Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring, Spring Shield, and ongoing Claw operations. Throughout its service, the UAV performed over 750 sorties, contributing to Türkiye’s security and defense operations.
A retirement ceremony was held at the Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul, attended by top military officials, including Turkish Land Forces Commander General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and Baykar’s leadership.
TB2 UAVs record-breaking achievements
Since its introduction in 2014, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, produced with 93% domestic components, have accumulated over 900,000 flight hours as of September 2024. This achievement makes Bayraktar TB2 the longest-serving domestically-produced aerial vehicle in Turkish aviation history.
The Bayraktar TB2 UAVs have also set multiple records, including reaching an altitude of 27,030 feet – setting a national altitude record for its class. In 2019, Bayraktar TB2 demonstrated its durability and capability by flying for 27 hours and 3 minutes in harsh conditions in Kuwait, setting another endurance record.
In May 2024, the Bayraktar TB2 made history as the first and only UAV to autonomously perform a barrel roll maneuver, an aviation feat typically reserved for fighter jets.
Bayraktar TB2’s success and export leadership
The Bayraktar TB2 has been pivotal in Türkiye’s defense strategy and has proven itself in international operations, including conflicts in Libya, Ukraine, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Experts have dubbed the Bayraktar TB2 as a UAV that “changed the nature of the battlefield.”
Bayraktar TB2 has garnered international demand, with six NATO countries and four EU nations adding the UAV to their inventories as of September 2024. The UAVs have also proven invaluable in civilian missions, including responding to natural disasters, search and rescue operations, and combating forest fires.
Türkiye’s success in UAV export markets
Baykar has become the world’s largest UAV exporter, with 97.5% of its signed contracts attributed to export sales.
The company has sold Bayraktar TB2 UAVs to 33 countries and signed export deals for the Bayraktar AKINCI UAV with 10 countries. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among the top 10 exporters in all sectors in Türkiye.
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