In a statement posted on Twitter, Baykar announced: “We have successfully completed the contract process with the Government of Kuwait on the export of domestically made Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs.”
Further, the official statement noted that the drone, which achieved a record by flying continuously for 27 hours and 3 minutes in challenging geographic and climatic conditions like high temperatures and sandstorms, will be on duty in Kuwaiti airspace.
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However, both statements remained silent regarding the number of drones to be exported or the timing of the drone deliveries to Kuwait.
Although the combat success and incredible performance displayed by the TB2 UCAV in conflict zones like Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia, and the ongoing Ukraine war has led to the drone’s popularity skyrocketing, Kuwait began negotiations for the drone as far back as in 2019, according to Daily Sabah.
According to Turkish media, Kuwait would be the 28th country in the world to conclude a contract for the Bayraktar TB2 drones.
Earlier, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that international demand is huge for the TB2 and the newer Akinci drone. Despite the unveiling of the newer, bigger, and better TB3 drone earlier this year, TB2 continues to steal the limelight and has been attracting customers from around the world.
Besides Kuwait, another Persian Gulf country showed interest in the Turkish drone. Reports from September last year indicated that discussions have been ongoing between UAE and Baykar for purchasing at least 120 TB2 drones, and the country had already received a batch of 20 drones.
By now, the drone has proved its mettle in untraditional conflicts, as well as hybrid warfare, making it all the more appealing as the way of fighting shifts in modern times. Despite significant operational range restrictions by the insufficient number of ground stations and the TB2’s reliance on them rather than satellite communications, it is very likely to fulfill Kuwait’s security requirements and guard its airspace.
The Turkish drones have also significantly impacted the outcome of the wars in Syria and Libya in favor of Ankara’s foreign policy and security goals, further adding to the drone’s potency and popularity. The manufacturers claimed earlier that after the combat success in Ukraine, the world has become TB2’s customer.
The success of the Turkish drones was widely reported in the media during the early phases of the conflict. Numerous footage showing Ukrainian drones decimating Russian advances on social media served as evidence of the raging success of these drones last summer.
They benefited from the element of surprise in the first few weeks and helped out on a few high-end missions. Among other successful counter-missions carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the most significant was the sinking of the Russian flagship Moskva which was believed to have been aided by the TB2 drone.
In May last year, Selcuk Bayraktar, who runs the firm Baykar with his brother Haluk said, “Bayraktar TB2 is doing what it was supposed to do – taking out some of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems and advanced artillery systems and armored vehicles.”
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