The Bayraktar TB2 with tail number J11, a distinguished member of Türkiye’s first-ever UCAV fleet, has successfully completed 10,000 flight hours in service with the Gendarmerie General Command. Now retired, the aircraft will be repurposed for indigenous UCAV training and test flights. In exchange for the decommissioned UCAV, Baykar has gifted the Gendarmerie General Command a brand-new Bayraktar TB2—free of charge.

ISTANBUL
25 February 2025

The Bayraktar TB2 with tail number J11, a member of Türkiye’s first-ever UCAV fleet, which has accumulated over 1 million flight hours to date, has successfully completed 10,000 flight hours since entering service in 2016. Now, the aircraft is set to embark on a new mission.

868 SUCCESSFUL SORTIES
During its distinguished service with the Gendarmerie General Command, the Bayraktar TB2 J11 UCAV carried out a wide range of critical missions—from counterterrorism and law enforcement operations to border security, search-and-rescue efforts, and the protection of strategic infrastructure. In recognition of the aircraft’s outstanding service, having accumulated 10,000 flight hours across 868 successful sorties, Baykar presented the Gendarmerie General Command with a certificate of merit.

BAYKAR GIFTS A BRAND NEW UCAV
The now-retired Bayraktar TB2 is set to be repurposed as a training and test aircraft at Baykar Technologies. In exchange for the aircraft, which has reached a significant milestone, the company gifted a brand-new Bayraktar TB2, with tail number J60, to the Gendarmerie General Command.
The decommissioned UCAV served 8,370 hours in counterterrorism operations, 246 hours in anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics missions, 107 hours monitoring civil unrest, 1,012 hours in border security operations, 151 hours in search-and-rescue efforts, and 114 hours safeguarding critical infrastructure.

OVER 1 MILLION HOURS
With a localization rate of 93 percent, Bayraktar TB2s have been in service worldwide since 2014. By December 2024, the fleet had accumulated one million flight hours, making the Bayraktar TB2 the longest-flying indigenous aircraft in Turkish aviation history. Bayraktar TB2s are currently in service with the Turkish Armed Forces, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the Gendarmerie General Command, the Turkish National Police, and the Coast Guard Command, as well as the Directorate General of Forestry for wildfire prevention efforts.

HOLDER OF RECORDS
The Bayraktar TB2, which holds numerous records in Turkish aviation history, set the national altitude record in its class at 27,030 feet. During a demo flight in Kuwait on July 16, 2019, the indigenous aircraft achieved another milestone, flying for 27 hours and three minutes despite extreme heat and sandstorms.

A WORLD FIRST IN AVIATION: THE FIRST UCAV TO PERFORM A BARREL ROLL
Making history once again in Turkish aviation, the indigenous Bayraktar TB2 UCAV became the first and only unmanned combat aerial vehicle in the world to successfully execute an autonomous barrel roll maneuver during test flights on May 31, 2024. The barrel roll, a critical evasive maneuver used by fighter jets, had never before been successfully performed by a UCAV anywhere in the world—until now.

THE HERO OF KARABAKH
In addition to playing a critical role in Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations, Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs have also demonstrated exceptional performance in international missions. Deployed across the globe, these indigenous UCAVs have proven their effectiveness in conflicts in Libya, Ukraine, Mali, and Burkina Faso, as well as in bringing an end to the 30-year occupation of Karabakh.

IN THE SKIES OF NATO AND EU COUNTRIES
Developed indigenously by Baykar, Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs have successfully entered the inventories of multiple nations worldwide through competitive selection processes. In a major achievement, Bayraktar TB2 won the competitive procurement process led by Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense, surpassing American, European, and Chinese rivals to secure a significant export contract. This success further solidified Baykar’s global influence, and in 2024, the company strengthened its presence in NATO and EU countries. Thanks to an agreement signed with Croatia on November 19, 2024, Bayraktar TB2 has now been incorporated into the inventories of six NATO member states and four EU member states.

FROM EARTHQUAKES TO WILDFIRE RESPONSE
In addition to security operations, indigenous UCAVs play a crucial role in civil missions, including disaster response for earthquakes and floods, search-and-rescue operations, irregular migration monitoring, and wildfire prevention. Deployed during the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Elazığ-Sivrice on January 24, 2020, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs also played a key role in the aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on February 6, 2023, flying a total of 2,417 hours and 6 minutes in relief operations. A total of 42 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, including eight equipped with the Baykar Rapid Mapping Pod, were mobilized for these efforts. As part of wildfire prevention efforts, between 2020 and 2024, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs detected 4,091 wildfires in their early stages, enabling rapid intervention before they could spread.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Since its inception, Baykar has conducted all its projects using its own resources. Since the launch of its UAV R&D process in 2003, 83% of the company’s total revenue has come from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among the top 10 exporters across all industries in Türkiye. As the largest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exporter in the global market, Baykar continued its international success in 2024, generating 90% of its revenue from exports, once again reaching $1.8 billion in exports.

HIGH-TECH EXPORTS TO 36 COUNTRIES
Recipient of the Export Champions Award, Baykar was recognized as the leading defense and aerospace exporter in 2021, 2022, and 2023, according to data from the Defense Industry Agency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). In the previous year, Baykar accounted for one-third of the sector’s total exports. In 2024, it continued its dominance, contributing one-fourth of all defense and aerospace exports, solidifying Türkiye’s position as a global leader in UCAV exports. Currently, 97.5% of Baykar’s signed contracts are export-based, further underscoring its role as the world’s largest UAV manufacturer. Export agreements have been signed with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 11 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, bringing the total number of countries to 36.