Bayraktar Akıncı

The Bayraktar Akıncı is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed and manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar. Preliminary design was completed in June 2019, followed by the maiden flight on December 6, 2019. The aircraft entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces on August 29, 2021. As of January 2026, more than 110 units have been produced.

Design

The airframe has a 20-meter wingspan, a length of 12.2 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 5,500 kg. It is powered by two turboprop engines. The avionics suite includes the MURAD active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, synthetic-aperture radar (SAR/GMTI), and dual satellite communication (SATCOM) systems. For target acquisition and electronic sensing, the platform utilizes the Aselsan Common Aperture Targeting System (CATS), electronic support measures (ESM), and signal intelligence (SIGINT) modules.

Armament

The Akıncı has a total payload capacity of 1,350 kg, with 400 kg assigned to internal carriage and 950 kg to external hardpoints. The aircraft features eight hardpoints and is capable of launching the SOM cruise missile. Its arsenal includes MAM-C, MAM-L, and MAM-T smart munitions, CIRIT missiles, and the TRG-230-İHA supersonic air-to-surface missile. Guided bomb integration covers the Teber, HGK, KGK, and LGK series, as well as NEB-84 and SARB-83 bunker busters. Air-to-air capabilities are supported through the GÖKTUĞ missile program, including the Bozdoğan and Gökdoğan missiles.

Operational History

Operational deployment began with Pençe-Kilit Operations in Northern Iraq to target PKK positions. In February 2022, the platform conducted its first combat mission. During the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, nine units flew over 1,551 hours to provide damage detection and search and rescue support. In May 2024, an Akıncı identified the crash site of an Iranian government helicopter in the Varzaqan region.

Confirmed operators include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Libya, Burkina Faso, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Operational losses have occurred in Libya (January 2025), the Qandil region of Iraq (March and October 2025), and Mali. Two Akıncı-A units were delivered to Mali in November 2024; one was lost in a training exercise and the second was shot down by Algerian forces in April 2025. On 26 July 2026 Houthi forces shot down a Saudi-operated Akıncı over Al-Jawf Governorate in northern Yemen; Janes recorded it as the first Akıncı lost in Yemen, and several defence outlets reported it as the type's first combat loss anywhere.

Variants

• Akıncı-A: The initial production variant powered by two 450 hp Ivchenko-Progress AI-450T turboprop engines.
• Akıncı-B: An upgraded version equipped with two 750 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A turboprop engines.
• Akıncı-C: A high-power variant featuring two 850 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines, which first flew in February 2024.