Turkish Akinci Sets New Altitude Record for Combat Drones

Turkey’s Akinci combat drone, manufactured by Baykar Tech that also designed the famed Bayraktar TB2, set a new national aviation record June 21.

On Wednesday, Baykar said the drone flew at an altitude of 45,118 ft (13,716 m).

On Tuesday, Baykar was conducting endurance, high altitude and high-speed tests in the presence of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and Air Force Command delegations. The model that was tested is the Bayraktar Akinci B that is powered by two 750 horsepower engines.

The drone returned to the Akıncı Flight Training and Test Center in the Çorlu district in northwestern Turkey’s Tekirdağ province after 20 hours and 23 minutes of flight.

Akıncı B successfully completed the test activity after traveling a total of 6,406 km (3980 miles) during the flight, during which high-speed trials were also carried out.

The UCAV broke the record by reaching an altitude of 38,039 ft within the scope of the test carried out on July 8, 2021. In March this year, it set its own record higher by reaching an altitude of 40,170 ft.

Baykar said on June 15 that the drone has completed a firing test with the domestically developed KGK-SIHA-82 (wing-assisted guidance kit) ammunition.

Bayraktar Akinci UCAVs, which entered the inventory with a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 29, 2021, are currently actively used by the security forces in operational duties. So far, six of them have entered service.