Bayraktar TB2 performs during third edition of Turkiye’s premier technology and aerospace event TEKNOFEST at Cigli Airport in Izmir, Turkiye on September 28, 2023. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
BEIRUT — The Emirati defense conglomerate EDGE Group announced today it is teaming up with drone maker Baykar to arm the Turkish firm’s unmanned aerial vehicles with Emirati payloads.
Under the agreement, EDGE said it will integrate its DESERT STING 16 “precision-guided munition” onto Baykar’s TB2 drone, the model that rose to international prominence in the early days of the conflict in Ukraine. A dramatic video published online by EDGE appeared to show one missile already installed on a TB2.
“At EDGE, we are proud to be partnering with Baykar, a leading company in advanced aerial systems. The opportunity to add to both companies’ capabilities is an important milestone in our partnership,” chairman of EDGE’s board, Faisal Al Bannai, said in a statement.
Likewise, Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman and CTO of Baykar, said, “Integration of the DESERT STING 16 and other EDGE weapons and systems will be valuable options in our UAV payload offerings. Our strategic alliance agreement with EDGE, an international leader in advanced technology, will provide further options to our client base.”
Can Kasapoglu, director of defense research at the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, told Breaking Defense the collaboration between the Emirati and Turkish firms is “really important.”
“It is the first time a Turkish drone maker is certifying a foreign munitions or smart solutions to be integrated on its platforms,” he said. “There is no [such] precedent in the Turkish exports portfolio.”
The Baykar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV that made waves at the outset of the war in Ukraine for its effectiveness against Russian forces, though it has receded from the headlines in recent months. DESERT STING 16 is a guided glide munition produced by EDGE Group subsidiary Halcon, which uses satellite navigation and is equipped with semi active laser seeker.
Kasapoglu said the introduction of the guided munition to the Turkish platform could open the door to additional mixing of Emirati weapons on Turkish platforms — a potential promised in the EDGE announcement that said “other payload integrations on other BAYKAR platforms [are] to follow” and that the two companies would seek “opportunities for further collaboration and mutually beneficial programmes.”
EDGE Group has been pushing recenlty to field its munitions on foreign airframes. For instance, the Emirati firm has been working with US-based General Atomics to integrate its missile systems on MQ-9B SkyGuardian, as Breaking Defense previously reported. During the Dubai Air Show in November, the company announced it planned to put EDGE-owned bombs on UAE Rafale fighter jets, which would be a first for the French-made aircraft.
Caglar Kurc, assistant professor at Abdullah Gül University in Turkey, said EDGE’s collaboration with Baykar “makes sense” and “works for both companies.”
“Baykar increases its options for munitions; EDGE would have access to a wider international market via Baykar,” he said.
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