Two heavy strike UAVs Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı traveled from the European part of Turkey to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, to take part in Teknofest.
The drones covered 2,000 km, and the flight, which lasted more than 5 hours, passed over the territory of three countries - Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. This is not the longest flight of Bayraktar Akıncı. During the tests the UAV covered 7507 km and was in the air for about 25 hours. But this is a real, not a test flight.
We remind that heavy strike UAVs Bayraktar Akıncı (Akıncı - light cavalry, which consisted of nomads, created during the first sultans of the Ottoman Empire) is developed by Baykar, the same company that manufactures drones Bayraktar TB2.
Bayraktar Akıncı uses Ukrainian turbocharged two-rotor engines AI-450T from Ivchenko-Progress. The drone can carry up to 1,350 kg of weapons at 8 points of external suspension, rise to a height of 12 km and stay in the air for 25 hours.
Currently, the only operator of Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı is the Turkish Armed Forces, they have already received 6 such UAVs, the first of which was on duty on August 29, 2021. There are reports that Baykar plans to build a joint assembly plant Bayraktar Akıncı in Azerbaijan.
We should note that another joint development of Baykar and Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress is a new generation jet supersonic inconspicuous deck UAV Bayraktar Kızılelma.
Specifications
Capacity - 1350 kg
Length - 12.2 m
Wingspan - 20 m
Height - 4.1 m
Maximum takeoff weight - 5500 kg
Powerplant - 2 × Ivchenko-Progress Motor Sich AI-450T turboprop engines, 560 kW (750 hp) each
Propellers - 5-bladed composite constant-speed propeller
Top speed - 361 km/h
Cruising speed - 240 km/h
Range - 7,500 km
Endurance - 25 hours
Service ceiling - 12,192 m
Working height - 9,100 m
Hardpoints - 8, with provisions to carry combinations of missiles and bombs of different types