Turkish drone manufacturer CEO lauds Ukrainians for proficiency with Bayraktar drones

Baykar Makina CEO Haluk Bayraktar has said that Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate very good skills in using drones.

He made the statement on the air of the information telethon when asked if he was personally satisfied with the work of Bayraktar TB2 in Ukraine and how Ukrainian soldiers use them, UNIAN reports.

"Our unmanned lethal systems strengthen the army on the battlefield, help users to have an understanding of the situation 24/7, conduct long-term surveillance and support combat operations on the ground. Before the war, we trained Ukrainian operators, so they deftly use drones. I follow their work on the news and see their effectiveness," he said.

Regarding the possibilities of improving these drones, the company's CEO noted that, depending on feedback from the battlefield, improvement is taking place.

"You have to constantly improve them. And because of the dynamics on the battlefield, and because of the environment where they work, this work never stops. I would like to note that your operators are doing everything possible and demonstrate very good skills in using drones," Bayraktar stressed.

The CEO of the company noted that Türkiye and Ukraine have a strategic level of partnership.

"There have been strategic councils of the highest level between our two countries since 2011. Cooperation in the air and space defence sector has only accelerated after the delivery of Bayraktar. Both sides are getting their advantages now. Both have established supply chains and self-sufficiency. Currently, our company has a plant project that we started several years ago when the president of Ukraine visited Baykar Makina. It was Zelenskyy's trip to Türkiye in 2019. Then the Ukrainian operators were just training in Türkiye, he visited them at our facilities," Bayraktar said.

He added that parts from Ukrainian manufacturers are used inside Turkish drones.

"Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world that has the ability to manufacture turbine engines. When our countries began to cooperate closely at the strategic level, we decided to use these and other details. Especially in Bayraktar Akıncı. This is a strategic drone that made its first flight with a Ukrainian engine. And now we are working on the technology of unmanned fighters with the name Bayraktar Kızılelma. Kızılelma - also equipped with your engines. By the way, according to the plan to build a plant in Ukraine, such unmanned fighters as Kızılelma should also be manufactured there," the company's CEO added.

According to him, this is a new generation, and this is the future of military air space.