Kuwait has signed a $367-million agreement with Turkish firm Baykar for an undisclosed number of Bayraktar TB2 combat drones.
The move comes in the wake of the system’s apparent success in helping Ukraine neutralize Russian assets.
According to Kuwaiti Air Force operations chief General Fahad Al-Dosari, the drones will support various operations, including monitoring maritime and land borders.
He added that the loitering munition can carry out reconnaissance and strike missions and support search and rescue efforts.
The deal includes providing necessary maintenance and logistical supplies.
Kuveyt Devleti ile milli SİHA #BayraktarTB2 ihracatına dair yürüttüğümüz sözleşme sürecini başarıyla tamamladık.
Amerika, Avrupa ve Çinli firmaların da yer aldığı rekabete dayalı sürecin kazananı olan milli SİHA #BayraktarTB2, 2019'da çöl şartlarında 27 saat 3 dakika havada… https://t.co/9VP2p0cBza
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) June 13, 2023
Baykar will also prepare NATO-standard facilities in the Middle Eastern nation for weapons arming and electronic warfare component integration.
Kuwait will become the 29th country to procure and operate the TB2.
The Bayraktar TB2
Turkey’s increasingly sought-after TB2 combat drone is a medium-altitude, long-range unmanned platform originally manufactured to meet the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces.
It features a triple redundant avionics system that includes a microcontroller, engine control, engine signal processing, and GPS receiver units.
Additionally, the system is equipped with an electro-optical camera, infrared camera, laser range finder, and a laser pointer.
With a 100hp internal combustion engine, the TB2 can fly at 120 knots (222 kilometers/138 miles per hour) and has a recorded flight endurance of 27 hours.
It has a range of up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) and can fly at a maximum altitude of 27,030 feet (8.2 kilometers).
‘Future of Warfare’
The success of Bayraktar combat drones in Ukraine was widely reported during the conflict’s early phases.
It has enabled Kyiv to mount a stiff defense, carrying out effective attacks that surprised many Western military experts.
The drones have even been hailed as Ukraine’s savior and the “future of warfare.”
“The general assessment of drones like TB2 is that they work well without sophisticated air and electronic warfare defenses arrayed against them,” military analyst and drone expert Samuel Bendett told Insider.
