Turkey’s Drone Industry: A serious challenge to India's security
After successfully carrying out military campaigns in Turkey, the country’s Bayraktar TB2 drones have gained numerous export customers in 2021. Poland is the first NATO member to order Turkish drones, which can fire anti-tank missiles. Ukraine has also bought a TB2 for its navy. The aircraft is the only major new warplane that it has acquired in 30 years. Following the acquisition of Latvians by Poland, other European countries are considering buying drones made in Turkey. Also, after defeating multiple armed groups in Syria in 2020, Turkey is now developing drones that can be used for combat. In February of that year, the Turkish military destroyed a ground force in the country's northwest.
How the Drone Help in Leveling the Playing Field
The growing popularity of Turkish drones can be traced back to their accomplishments in combat in 2020. These aircraft, which are known as TB2s, were used to destroy militia units and Syrian military units. Turkish military drones deployed in Libya played a vital role in supporting Turkey’s ally in the country. They helped repel a siege by the LNA in Tripoli. In the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the use of TB2s by the Azerbaijani military destroyed Armenian ground forces. Their operators could afford to lose significant amounts of money due to the relatively cheap nature of their equipment. The TB2's ability to provide real challenges to the enemy is what makes it stand out, said Major General John Richardson, the US' top military officer. The low cost of Turkish drones is one of the factors that will likely draw more customers to the country. Ismail Demir, who is the head of the Defence Industry Presidency, said that the low price of the TB2 makes it stand out from the competition. The average cost of a TB2 drone is about $1 million to $2 million. This is significantly less than the $20 million that the British military spent on 16 drones.
Despite Turkey's growing prominence in the combat drone market, it still has a long way to go to become a premier exporter of such weapons. Bloomberg noted that despite its achievements, the country still has a way to go to catch up with the likes of the US and China. Until recently, the US did not allow its armed drones to be sold to most countries except some close allies. Despite the controversy, the US continues to sell drones to other countries. This strategy could help the country secure more lucrative deals as it continues to expand its military capabilities. Turkey is well-equipped to capitalize on the growing demand for drones due to their affordable nature. This is because they can still produce and promote these weapons systems at a low price.
Everything is coming up roses for Turkey's flourishing drone industry, but the country's cash-strapped economy could slow down further progress. During the early 2000s, Turkey relied on Israeli-made drones for its asymmetric warfare against Kurdish rebels in Iraq and Syria. The Anka was Turkey's first indigenous drone, but its technological shortcomings prevented it from being successful. In addition to a foreign engine, the aircraft also had other foreign components such as landing gear, radio, and sensors. In 2010, Turkey became the leading exporter of drones in the world. The success of this industry can be attributed to the partnership between tech companies Baykar and Kale, which developed the Bayraktar TB-2 drone. The serial production of the Bayraktar began in 2011. The second phase, which involved the development of the TB-2 drone, started in January 2012. The first flight of the aircraft took place in 2014. As of 2019, the Turkish military used 75 TB-2 drones. Before buying the aircraft from Ukraine, Baykar had already sold six drones to Qatar. In 2020, Turkish aerospace company TAI won an $80 million contract to supply three Anka-S satellites to Tunisia. Aside from drones, Turkey also has programs related to unmanned aerial vehicles. On March 24, the country's Defense Industries Presidency launched a project to establish a remote jamming system for drones. The Anka-II will be used for intelligence-gathering and target identification. The other program is the HAVA SOJ. This capability is designed to identify, locate, and disable hostile communication systems. In February, Akda, a Turkish defense company, upgraded the Songar drone with a 40mm grenade launcher. The upgraded version has passed its acceptance tests. Also in February, Taiwan Aerospace Industries showcased the first production-ready electric-powered attack helicopter, known as T629. The aircraft, which is equipped with multiple missiles, is expected to reach mid-2020.
This entity is a state-controlled entity that has the potential to mix propaganda with progress. It wants to impress the president, who is an Islamist autocrat. The Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has set a target date of 2023 for the country’s first indigenous fighter jet. However, it has since revised the target date to 2025-26. Without the support of Taiwan Aerospace Industries, Turkey has become a leading exporter of combat drones. The country’s military has been using the TB-2 for years in operations in Iraq and Syria. The TB-2 was a vital component of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in October. It was used as a weapon of war by Turkey-backed factions during the Libyan civil war. Turkey's drones proved themselves capable of defeating Russia's defense systems in Syria, North Africa, and the Nagorno Karabakh region, analyst said. Ismail Demir, the head of Turkey's Self-Defense System (SSB), said that drones are very cheap because of their capabilities. Baykar, a drone maker founded by Turkish entrepreneur Murat Aydin, is pushing beyond the realm of drones. It is also developing an assault ship that it hopes to launch in 2021. The Turkish Tce Anadolu was envisioned to house a fleet of F-35 fighter planes. It would also have vertical take-off capabilities. However, due to the acquisition of the S-400 defense system, Turkey was forced to stop its partnership with the US. To give unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) the ability to take off and land on an aircraft carrier, their structures have to be strong enough to withstand the high G-forces of the aircraft.
Engineering firm Baykar has started the design phase for Turkey's first indigenous AI-powered fighter jet. The aircraft is expected to be launched in 2021. The drone will be able to fly at an altitude of over 40,000 feet. It will also be able to carry out tasks for five hours. The aircraft is designed to reach a speed of up to Mach 0.8 and carry a maximum payload of up to 1 ton of ammunition. Too many of the country's weapons programs came to the end of their useful life at a time when Turkey's economy was struggling due to the country's financial difficulties. There are potential technical issues that could disrupt the production of drones made by Turkish companies. In October, Canada suspended the export of key drone parts to Turkey due to concerns over the country’s defense industry. Champagne suspended the export of drones technology to Turkey due to its support for the Azeri-Armenian conflict. Exports of Canadian technology have been suspended as authorities investigate claims that drones were being used in the Middle East. Project Ploughshares noted that the export of high-tech weapons technology violated Canada’s domestic and international arms trade regulations. L3 Harris WESCAM, a Canadian subsidiary of defense contractor L3 Electronics, is a leading manufacturer of infrared and electro-optical sensors for drones. Aselsan was selected as the prime contractor for the project, which involved the design and supply of imaging and targeting sensor system components. Due to the country’s current economic difficulties, Turkey’s military electronics firm Aselsan has partnered with Bayraktar to develop targeted sensor systems for drones.
Conclusion
The Turkish use of the TB2 in its campaign against the Islamic State shows how even middle-tier nations can still use low-cost weapons in a combat environment. The use of drones in Libya's civil war showed how nations can use them to enhance their propaganda operations without significantly increasing the cost of their air operations. Turkey's military was able to keep unmanned drones in Libya despite the country's relatively high attrition rate. Its intervention could be attractive to other middle-powers. A drone with a built-in GPS can help tilt the balance in a given region's favor, without the need to deploy large numbers of soldiers. Most of the forces that died in these conflicts were local proxies, which insulate policymakers from any political backlash. The rapid declassified of these videos allows policymakers to shape domestic and global narratives about the effectiveness of combat. These videos detail the large number of people killed on the ground in areas under opposition control. They help policymakers defend themselves from criticism. Despite Turkey’s stated goals, the result fell short of its stated aims. Instead of pushing back against the regime, it stayed focused on defeating the opposition. The online propaganda that accompanied Turkey's military victory over Russia reinforced the idea that this country's soldiers are more powerful than their enemies. The TB2 shows that the barriers to entry have been lowered for small expeditionary operations. The US should also update its assumptions about how Middle-sized powers can project power abroad. The story of the TB2 is still very powerful in Turkey. Its political will and indigenous solution have overcome the US' refusal to provide it with weapons. The narrative about Turkey’s jet fighter program is a useful political tool that can be used to frame the country’s defeat in the F-35 competition. However, it is important to note that the platform is still in its early stages and that its capabilities are still not fully understood. Although the future is bright for the development of drones, their capabilities are still limited when compared to the modern air force. For now, however, the use of drones for propaganda has been refined. Future operators may develop their own expeditionary templates and match information operations to reduce the political costs and shape how war is perceived online.
Pic Courtesy- Mitch Nielsen at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
