Turkey tests Bayraktar TB2 drone as carrier for kamikaze drones
The Bayraktar TB2 successfully deployed two Skydagger FPV drones during a recent test at a flight training centre.
Turkey has developed a new role for its Bayraktar TB2 combat drone by using it as an airborne carrier for smaller kamikaze drones, according to the Times of India.
The test took place at the Keşan Flight Training and Test Center in northwestern Türkiye, where the Bayraktar TB2 carried 16 Skydagger first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones.
During the flight, the TB2 released two of the Skydagger drones, both of which hit their assigned targets.
The Bayraktar TB2 also functioned as an airborne communications relay, which enabled ground-based operators to control the smaller attack drones independently.
Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said the integration could change battlefield operations by extending the reach of smaller drones. He stated that while FPV drones usually have a battlefield range of about 15 km, the TB2 integration could allow them to reach targets thousands of kilometres away.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle. It has a maximum speed of 110 knots (204 kmph), an operational altitude of up to 16,000 feet, and an endurance exceeding 20 hours.