What are the Turkish-made UAVs in the World's Top 10 Best Combat Drones?

Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs), commonly referred to as Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) in Turkey, are platforms that can carry various sensors as well as ammunition and weapons such as missiles and bombs, and can perform intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) missions as well as electronic warfare, counter-terrorism and fighter-bombing missions, and are generally relatively smaller than conventional combat aircraft. Unmanned armed platforms are especially preferred to destroy a high-value target (e.g. terrorist leaders) with pinpoint precision weapons, even if they are deployed on foreign soil. At the end of the day, UAVs, which can use air-to-ground and/or air-to-air missiles, miniature smart bombs, laser-guided bombs, etc., are capable of performing many of today's air missions. This begs the question, "When will unmanned combat aircraft replace manned combat aircraft?" 

Currently, even if UAVs are 'unmanned', they still require a man-in-the-loop. Although many of them have varying levels of autonomy, they continue to require human control. The IMHA pilot can remotely command the aircraft from a terminal, which includes the ground control station (cockpit), to give the required flight and mission controls to the aircraft via remote command lines. Thus, without any risk of loss of life, they are able to penetrate deep into the enemy's depths as silently as the operational radius of the IMHA is sufficient, hit the target and return to their bases without making any noise. In the event that they are caught by enemy radars, shot down or shot down in any way, no one even has to claim ownership of the UAV, as if 'our mission is dangerous'. 

Today, unmanned combat aerial vehicles are being developed by almost all countries. However, not all UAVs or combat drones have the same characteristics and capabilities. Similar to the differences between fighter jets, there are also differences between combat drones. While some are designed for low visibility or to carry a few half-ton bombs, others are designed to be as cheap, simple and easy to mass-produce as possible. Some are built for surveillance purposes only, while others are built to be almost as capable as the most advanced manned fighter jets. Ultimately, combat drones are evaluated based on a number of features such as performance, durability, weapon and sensor carrying capabilities. 

Aerotime hub, known as an important digital platform on aviation, mentions the top 10 combat drones in the ranking of combat drones for 2024. In this ranking, it is indeed a proud achievement that 3 out of 10 UAVs are made by Turkish UAV manufacturers. In this respect, I will stick to Aerotime's ranking and talk about these 10 combat drones and, as a bonus, the MQ-9 Reaper and Aarok UAVs.

Let's give the ranking first: 

10. TAI AKSUNGUR

9. Chengdu GJ-2 / Wing Loong II 

8. Altair / Sokol Altius 

7. Bayraktar Kızılema 

6. Hongdu GJ-11 

5. Bayraktar TB2 

4. Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B 

3. XQ-58A Valkyrie 

2. BAE Systems Taranis / Dassault nEUROn 

1. Boeing MQ-28 Stealth Bat

American-made General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper 

While not the most advanced drone by today's standards, the production and deployment of more than 300 MQ-9 Reapers is certainly a remarkable achievement. With numerous modifications, a dozen pilots and millions of flight hours, the MQ-9 Reaper is considered the greatest success story of modern drone warfare. Used in many wars, the MQ-Reaper is also seen as the forerunner of combat drones. In fact, although it is described as an outdated combat drone as an old model, it seems that it will maintain its presence in the skies for a while longer, similar to the F-16 aircraft with a 50-year history, which is still demanded by many users and therefore continues to be produced. 

French Made Turgis & Gaillard Aarok

France's next-generation combat drone is expected to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions with high-performance sensors. Unveiled by French defense company Turgis & Gaillard at the 2023 Paris Air Show, this drone is known to be the largest unmanned combat aircraft ever produced in France, with an impressive wingspan of 22 meters. 

10. Turkish Made TAI AKSUNGUR 

AKSUNGUR, a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) class UAV, is one of the many alternatives to Reaper for potential users, along with its ancestor ANKA. Aksungur has been operating in the fields since October 20, 2021, when it was first delivered to the Turkish Navy. The Turkish Air Force and the Kyrgyz Border Guards in Kyrgyzstan also use Aksungur. What gives Aksungur an edge over many similar designs is that it can operate at an altitude of 25,000 feet and has a long endurance of 50 hours. AKSUNGUR, a twin-engine UAV developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), broke a new record at the beginning of this year with its TEI-PD170 engine, also produced by TEI, a subsidiary of TAI, and successfully completed its 41-hour flight. In this respect, Aksungur draws attention as an ideal platform especially for medium-altitude intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions. With the anti-ice system in the wing and tail areas, it can continue its mission in all weather conditions.

9. Chinese-made Chengdu GJ-2 / Wing Loong II 

First introduced in 2017, this drone was first sold to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE had the opportunity to test these drones in many conflicts. Subsequently, Pakistan and Egypt also purchased large numbers of these drones. The Chengdu GJ-2 can carry up to 480 kilograms (kg) of laser-guided bombs and missiles of equivalent weight. According to some sources, this combat drone is also capable of firing air-to-air missiles. The latest version is the Chengdu Wing Loong-3 and has been in use since 2022.

8. Russian Made Altair / Sokol Altius 

Altair is the name of the development program. Altius is the name of the drone. Since 2011, despite a long and turbulent development process, this MALE UAV became known after its first flight in 2019. In 2021, it was planned to be taken into inventory by the Russian Air Force. However, only three prototypes of this combat drone have been produced and there has been no open-source news about them since then. Heavier than most combat drones, the Sokol Altius can stay airborne for 24 hours and can carry a payload of up to 1,000 kg. 

7. Turkish-made Bayraktar KIZILELMA 

It is the next combat drone on the list after AKSUNGUR. Developed by Baykar in Turkey, the Bayraktar Kizilelma drone is seen as a promising advanced UAV designed with maneuverability and low visibility in mind. Capable of reaching a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet (approximately 9 kilometers), Kızılelma has a take-off weight of 8.5 tons and an operational radius of 500 nautical miles. Flight tests are ongoing with the first two prototypes of Kızılelma, which is expected to operate autonomously in the air for five hours and have a payload capacity of 1,500 kg. Kızılelma is expected to enter service in 2025. After the integration of the ASELSAN-made AESA radar into Kızılelma, it is expected to have high situational awareness in the missions to be carried out with this drone, as well as successfully performing all the missions expected from an unmanned combat air vehicle, including air-to-air targeting.

6. Chinese Hongdu GJ-11 

Little is known about China's low-visibility UAV nicknamed 'Sharp Sword'. The Hongdu GJ-11, which made its first flight in 2013, was exhibited during the Airshow in China in October 2021. The tail design of this UAV does not use an altitude rudder for low visibility. Due to its structure, it is expected to be an agile, highly maneuverable UAV. It is claimed that it can carry a payload of over 1,800 kg in its internal weapons bay. With an operational radius of 2,485 miles (4,000 km) and a speed of 621 miles per hour, Hongdu GJ-11 is a candidate to be a successful combat drone. 

5. Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 

It is the third Turkish UAV on the list. Bayraktar TB2 (Tactical Block 2), manufactured by Baykar Defence, is a MALE unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of conducting largely autonomous flight operations. Produced by Turkey and designed primarily for the Turkish Armed Forces, it is estimated that at least 600 of these drones have been produced to date. Capable of carrying up to 150 kilograms of payload, Bayraktar TB2 has been used in many different missions and operations with the mini smart ammunition it carries, has accomplished successful missions and has flown over 500,000 hours in total.

TB2s were used by Azerbaijan during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the Russian-Ukrainian War. Its success during these wars brought the TB-2 worldwide fame. As a result, many countries have been eager to purchase the TB-2, which has a track record of combat success. It is known that around 150 TB2s are in use in Turkey. In addition to Turkey, TB2s have been exported to 28 countries including Qatar, Libya, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, Poland, Mali and Kuwait.

4. Russian Made Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B 

It is Russia's first stealthy unmanned fighter jet. It was presented as a continuation of the 'Skat' project previously developed by the MiG. The Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik drone is powered by an AL-31 turbojet engine and can reach speeds of 1,000 kilometers per hour. It is estimated to have a total operational radius of 6,000 kilometers. The biggest difference between the S-70 Okhotnik-B and other similar drones is that it can carry weapons and ammunition weighing up to almost three tons. At the same time, the S-70s, which are expected to operate together with Su-57 fighter jets, are planned to enter the inventory of the Russian Air Force by 2025. Currently, two operational prototypes of Okhotnik B continue flight tests. 

3. American-made XQ-58A Valkyrie 

Valkyrie is a good example of the level of development achieved in the field of UAVs. Designed according to the swarm UAV logic that can operate alongside manned fighter jets, Valkyrie has been developed to perform autonomous missions with the support of artificial intelligence. In addition to reconnaissance missions, it is claimed that it can engage in air combat (dogfighting) in line of sight when necessary, and can even be used to protect fighter jets. The biggest feature that distinguishes Valkyrie from its counterparts is its low sales price (2 million dollars). It is not known whether the US will actually sell it at this price, but the low price tag is shown as its prominent feature. The prototypes of Valkyrie, which made its first flight in 2023, are still undergoing flight tests. 

2. Three Different Destruction: British-made BAE Systems Taranis and French-made Dassault nEUROn 

Two combat drones, which are similar in terms of their features and capabilities but are produced separately by two different companies, are considered to be among the most successful platforms to draw attention to their predecessors at the prototype stage. Taranis, developed by BAE Systems, and nEUROn, developed by French Dassault Aviation, were produced as technology demonstrators. They are promising as wing UAVs. In this respect, TAI's ANKA-III wing drone made its first flight on December 27, 2023, making at least as remarkable a debut as Taranis and nEUROn. All three drones aim to operate alongside manned fighter jets. 

1. American Made Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat 

Developed by Boeing Australia, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an artificially intelligent UCAV said to be designed to operate alongside sixth-generation fighters and bombers. With a combat radius of almost 900 miles, much is expected from this loyal wingman. Ghost Bat, which will also be deployed on aircraft carriers, will be equipped with integrated sensor packages. In addition to the US Navy, the Air Force is also considering purchasing this drone.

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is expected to become operational with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 2024-25 and four prototypes have already been produced. 

Conclusion

Today, IMHAs are used by many countries for many reasons such as time and space superiority, asymmetric effect, affordability, ability to stay in the air for a long time, the pilot's ability to remotely operate in a conflict zone, and the elimination of the risk of losing the pilot during operations. Turkey was able to see in time that it could make progress in this field, and in this context, drones such as ANKA, TB2, Karayel, Kızılelma, AKSUNGUR, Akıncı, TB3, ANKA-III, etc. were developed, meeting Turkey's needs and achieving a significant export success in the field of defence industry through overseas sales. As a result, Turkey has become a world-class UAV manufacturer, thanks to the remarkable mission successes of Turkish UAVs used in conflicts in Azerbaijan, Syria, Libya and Ukraine.

As a result, I consider it a proud achievement that three Turkish-made IMHAs, or in other words, combat drones, were able to find a place in the list of 10 UAVs in the first UAV evaluation for 2024. I believe that TAI and Baykar, who have presented Turkish people with this pride, will continue to produce better combat drones with the strength they will receive from here.