An aerial view of Bayraktar TB2 (L) and Akinci (R) as people visit the planes during the fifth day of the Turkiyeâs largest technology and aviation event TEKNOFEST at Istanbulâs Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkiye on May 01, 2023. (Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
BEIRUT — Turkish drone-maker Baykar said it has signed its largest contract yet to export its Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle to Saudi Arabia, to “serve in the inventory of the Royal Saudi Air Force and Navy.”
The deal Akinci, announced Tuesday, was sealed during Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Gulf kingdom, which will be followed by visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The announcement by Baykar, which also makes the Bayraktar TB2 drone that rose to prominence in Ukraine, did not provide details concerning cost or number of units involved, but more could become clear at the International Defence Industry Fair taking place in Turkey next week. On Twitter, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, described the deal as “the biggest defense and aviation export contract in the history of the Republic of Turkey.”
The deal and was signed between the Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler. Beyond the drones themselves, the deal states that Baykar will also provide training, technical support, and logistic services.
Joint production and technology transfer, a priority for Saudi Arabia, is also part of the deal and will “advance the high-tech development capabilities of both countries in the coming period,” Baykar said..
From the Saudi side, Bin Salman said that two acquisition contracts were signed with Baykar “with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the Kingdom’s armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities.”
Bayraktar’s Akinci entered service with the Turkish armed forces on August 2021, and received 6 export contracts so far, according to the company.
“We are taking an important step that further strengthens the deep bonds between the two countries. This agreement will increase our capabilities regarding UAV technology and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s ability to develop high technology. This cooperation will not only reinforce the ties between our nations but also aims to contribute to regional and global peace,” the company’s CEO said in a statement.
Andreas Krieg, senior lecturer at King’s College London, and CEO of MENA analytica, a London-based strategic risk consultancy firm focusing on the wider Middle East region, described the deal as a win-win situation for both sides.
“Saudis made a sensible investment by investing in Turkey’s growing defense industry. It is a win-win deal in the sense of technology sharing, these drones will be exported to [Saudi Arabia] with a potential that some drones will be built in the Kingdom, and it helps the Saudis build their defense industry,” Krieg told Breaking Defense.
He noted that it also help Saudis to diversify their defense alliance from the West, “and this particular drone [is] probably on par with the best Western drone providers. It is a good product at a competitive price 25 percent cheaper than its competitors,” Krieg said.
This is not the first contract between the Turkish firm and Gulf countries. This year Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the famed BayraktarTB2 UAVs in a $370 million deal. The UAE reportedly negotiated a deal for the drones in 2022 as well.
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