Video: Bayraktar TB2 Tested as a Carrier for 16 FPV Drones
The Turkish company Baykar tested the Bayraktar TB2 strike drone as a carrier for 16 Skydagger FPV kamikaze drones. During the test, two small drones separated from the mother platform and struck designated targets. In addition to launching the drones, the TB2 served as an airborne communications relay to control the FPV drones.
On November 4, Baykar released a video of the test titled “16 x FPV Drone Drop Test.” The footage shows the Bayraktar TB2 serving as a launch platform for 16 Skydagger FPV kamikaze drones.
According to the company, the drone took off from the Flight Training and Test Center in Keshan, in northwestern Turkey.
At the test site, two FPV drones separated from the TB2. After launch, the mother drone continued to serve as an aerial relay: ground operators used it to transmit signals and control the small drones, which subsequently struck their designated targets.
Baykar notes that the average operational range of FPV drones on the battlefield is about 15 km. According to the developer, integrating these drones with the Bayraktar TB2 makes it possible to attack targets at significantly greater distances.
At the same time, the company did not specify when exactly the tests took place or what happened to the remaining 14 FPV drones.
The launch container for the drones, called the DAGGER POD, was developed by Skydagger. It is designed to hold 16 FPV drones and features a modular design that allows it to be adapted to various platforms.
On Baykar’s official website, the Bayraktar TB2 is described as a MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) unmanned aerial vehicle.
Key specifications of the Bayraktar TB2:
- wingspan — 12 meters;
- payload — up to 150 kg;
- maximum takeoff weight — 700 kg;
- flight duration — over 18 hours.
Baykar also states that the company has signed export agreements to supply the Bayraktar TB2 to 36 countries around the world.
Baykar reported this on Instagram.
Earlier, the Turkish defense company Aselsan demonstrated electronic warfare systems and radar equipment integrated into Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 drones in central Turkey.
The Turkish company Baykar successfully conducted a unique test of the Bayraktar Kızılelma drone, which is capable of engaging air targets with beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles.
As a reminder, construction of the Baykar plant in Ukraine will continue despite the shelling.
Turkey has also launched serial production of the Kızılelma unmanned fighter.
