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Turkey’s landmark combat drone AKINCI on Wednesday underwent a successful flight test, and AKINCI drones are now combat readywith upgraded engines that make it the most advanced platform in its class. Equipped with two engines of 750 horsepower (hp) each, the Akıncı B unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), stayed in the air for an hour and 16 minutes, after it took off from the training and test center of its developer Baykar in northwestern Tekirdag’s corlu district, its developer Baykar said. with A total of 1,500 hp engin, makes it the world’s most powerful. and highest combat-capable unmanned combat aerial vehicle in its class,The initial model AKINCI A, the first of which was delivered to the Turkish security forces in late August last year. is equipped with engines of 450 hp each for a total of 900 hp, Six of them have entered the inventory so far and have been actively used by the Turkish Armed Forces, Baykar says.AKINCI marks the most advanced and sophisticated drone built by the country. which has been expanding a fleet that has already proved its success in the field. The aircraft, whose designs,software, avionics, and mechanics all belong to Baykar,is more advanced than the company’s Bayraktar TB2 UCAV.which has been widely used and sold to a range of countries including Ukraine. Bayraktar TB2 earned worldwide fame following its deployment in conflicts in Syria, Libya: and the Nagorno-Karabakh. many other nations expressing interest in buying this drone. Its upgraded version is expected to perform its maiden flight this year.Currently under development at the Baykar facilities. Baykar has completed an export deal for the AKINCI with two countries, said CEO Haluk Bayraktar. Deliveries are aimed to be made periodically starting from 2023. Having made its first export, Baykar completed $664 million worth of drone sales last year, and Negotiations are ongoing with many countries interested in AKINCI.Akıncı is longer and wider than the Bayraktar TB2 and can perform strategic tasks, It has a 20-meter wingspan, with its unique twisted-wing structure,and is equipped with fully automatic flight control and a triple-redundant autopilot system. Akıncı can carry various weaponry, It is also able to launch several other types of locally made munitions, such as the Roketsan-built Stand-Off Missile (SOM),a long-range air-to-surface cruise missile that can hit targets up to 150 miles away.Baykar says; the AKINCI can attack targets both in the air and on the ground.It can also operate alongside fighter jets and fly higher and stay in the air longer than Turkey’s existing drones. The UCAV made its maiden flight on Dec 6 2019,before it passed its first firing test in late April last year. After AKINCI B, an even more advanced model,AKINCI C, equipped with 950 hp engin, a total of 1900 hp. will be comming soon, said Bayraktar.
