Swiss media praise Türkiye’s Akinci drone for locating Raisi’s helicopter
Swiss media have lauded the role of a Turkish Akinci drone in locating the wreckage of a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, underscoring its advanced capabilities.
The daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) highlighted the drone’s “long flight duration at high altitude” as a significant factor in the successful search operation.
Akinci: The most-watched aircraft
“The search for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s crashed helicopter has once again shown the world what capabilities Türkiye now has in the production of drones,” NZZ reported.
It noted that the accident site was located using heat sensors on board the Akinci drone, which can fly at altitudes of up to 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) and remain airborne for up to 24 hours, even in adverse weather such as the thick fog and strong storm winds present in the mountainous accident area.
The report also mentioned that a livestream broadcast by Anadolu of the drone’s footage had been viewed almost 8 million times, making the Akinci drone “the most watched aircraft” of the day, according to Flightradar24, a website tracking aircraft movements.
Türkiye’s self-sufficient arms industry
The article emphasized the development of Türkiye’s self-sufficient domestic arms industry as a key aspect of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-term goal of making Türkiye an independent regional power.
Drones, particularly those from Baykar, play a crucial role in this vision. Turkish drones are now in high demand internationally, with Baykar alone selling its products in over 30 countries.
Türkiye holds technological advantage over Iran
The report suggested that the Akinci drone’s role in the Iran search operation, similar to its performance in military operations in Azerbaijan and Ukraine, would further enhance its reputation.
It pointed out the technological advantage Türkiye holds over Iran, whose president was in an outdated helicopter without a tracking device, relying on Turkish high-tech for his location.
After Raisi’s helicopter crashed, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry deployed the Akinci UAV and a Cougar-type helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities for the search operation.
According to Iranian state broadcasters, Raisi was returning from a dam inauguration ceremony on the Iran-Azerbaijan border when the crash occurred. The accident also resulted in the deaths of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan province governor Malik Rahmeti and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.
