Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı. Bayraktar Akıncı (, Raider lit. "Akinji") is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) being manufactured by the Turkish defence company Baykar. The first three units entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces on 29 August 2021.

The aircraft has a 5.5+ ton maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), of which over  is payload. Akıncı is equipped with two turboprop engines of either  or , as well as electronic support and ECM systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and advanced synthetic-aperture radar.

Development 

With the preliminary design phase completed in June 2019, Akıncı started engine ground run testing in August 2019 with a Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress   AI-450C turboprop engine. First engine test was accomplished on September 1, 2019. Following the completion of other technical tests, the aircraft was moved to the Turkish Army's Çorlu Airfield Command. The UCAV made its maiden flight with automatic taxiing, take-off, 16-minute flight and successful landing on December 6, 2019.

Akıncı has a payload capacity of  internal and  external, a maximum combat load of . Powered by two  or  turboprop engines, the drone has a  wingspan.  It will be the first UAV capable of launching a cruise missile.

First pictures of the UAV hit media reports in June 2018 and it was unveiled to the public during the Teknofest Aviation, Space and Technology Festival in September 2019.

On 22 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV has successfully conducted its first firing tests. During the test, 'Akıncı' was fitted with three different variants of the indigenously developed smart munitions, MAM-L, MAM-C and MAM-T. The test was also the first public appearance of the Roketsan's newest smart munition, MAM-T. From July 6 to 7, the aircraft completed a test flight of 25 hours and 45 minutes, flying  and reaching an altitude of . On August 29, 2021, Akıncı was added to the inventory of Turkish armed forces.

Operational history 
Akıncı was first used in Pençe-Kilit Operations which were held by the Turkish military to dissolve PKK positions such as shelters and caves in Northern Iraq.

A total of 9 Akıncıs successfully flew over 1551 hours in the earthquake zone of the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.

The drones have been instrumental in providing continuous updates and data to the crisis response team for damage detection, search and rescue support, along with coordination activities.

A unspecified number of Akıncıs were involved in an attack on the Wagner Group-operated El-Hadim Airbase, having destroyed at least one air defense system.

In May 2024 one of the drones assisted in finding the crash site of a Bell 212 that had crashed, which killed the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The mission reportedly lasted 7 hours. Afterwards, the drone drew the crescent and star.

On January 29, 2025, forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) shot down a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drone approximately 15 kilometers west of Al-Ajilat in northwestern Libya. Video evidence of the incident shows smoke in the sky, suggesting the drone was hit by an LNA-fired missile.

Avionics and radar 

The Akıncı drone is equipped with an indigenously manufactured active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar called MURAD, a SAR/GMTI radar, a surveillance system, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence suite (SIGINT), and SATCOM allowing Akıncıs to become UCAV as well as ISTAR+C3 assets for the Turkish military.

Timeline 

 On 6 December 2019, Bayraktar Akıncı made its maiden flight.
 On 10 January 2020, first prototype made its second flight and passed over 6000 ft.
 On 13 August 2020, second prototype made its maiden flights.
 On 19 August 2020, second prototype conducted medium altitude system integration flight tests.
 On 22 August 2020, first prototype exceeded  during flight testing.
 On 5 September 2020, second prototype conducted high altitude and high speed flight tests.
 On 8–9 September 2020, Critical Design Review was conducted.
 On 11 September 2020, second prototype conducted medium altitude system integration flight tests.
 On 3 October 2020, second  prototype 2 conducted asymmetric thrust tests.
 On 13 March 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 2 conducted its advanced system integration flight tests.
 On 27 March 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its maiden flight.
 On 10 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its medium altitude system integration flight tests.
 On 13 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı prototype 3 conducted its high altitude and high speed flight tests.
 On 22 April 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its first firing tests.
 On 19 May 2021, the first serial produced Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its maiden flight
 On 7 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı set the new national flight altitude record of Turkey by cruising at  for 25 hours and 46 minutes at a distance of 7,507 km 
 On 10 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted a 13 hours and 24 minute long flight with 1360 kg payload. During the flight Akıncı was equipped with the NEB bunker buster bomb developed by TUBITAK SAGE. Marking the heaviest bomb ever carried by an UCAV
 On 29 August 2021, the first three units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces
 On 24 December 2021, two units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces
 On 23 January 2022, first export agreement of Bayraktar Akıncı was announced
 On 13 February 2022, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted its first combat mission
 On 2 March 2022, second export agreement of Bayraktar Akıncı was announced
 On 2 March 2022, the Baykar announced that the Bayraktar AKINCI-B version with twin  engines completed its maiden flight 
 On 21 May 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI crossed 3 countries (Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan), flying approximately 2000 km.
 On 14 June 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) has successfully completed its first firing test from 30 kilometers away with the KGK-SIHA-82 (Winged Guidance Kit) ammunition.
 On 21 June 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI B Variant took off to carry out endurance, high altitude and high speed tests, The B Variant rose to an altitude of  within the scope of the test, returned to Bayraktar AKINCI Flight, Training and Test Center at Çorlu Airport Command after 20 hours and 23 minutes of flight.
 On 1 July 2022, the Bayraktar AKINCI carried out a test firing with the LGK-82 (Laser Guidance Kit), developed by ASELSAN, Flying with an altitude of 30 thousand feet, the target was laser-marked by Bayraktar TB2 SİHA, The LGK-82 was Launched from UAV for the first time.
 On 3 August 2022, three units were delivered to the Turkish Air Force
 On 24 August 2022, three additional units were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces, bringing the number of drones operated by Turkey to 12
 On 22 February 2024, Akıncı equipped with ASELFLIR-500 shot a mobile Albatros USV.
 On 24 February 2024, Akıncı C variant successfully carried out its first flight test with two 850 HP engines.

Operators

Current operators 

 Turkish Land Forces – 60+ operational.
 Turkish Air Force – 20 operational.
 National Intelligence Organization (MIT) - 1 operational.

 Pakistan Air Force – 6-7 Akıncı UAVs delivered during the first half of 2023.

 Libyan Air Force – At least 1 Akıncı delivered. In late May 2023, Libyan prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, shared footage from a counter smuggling operations with an Akıncı.

 Ethiopian Air Force

 Azerbaijan Air Force

 Burkina Faso Armed Forces

                                   

On December 31, 2024, Baykar announced delivery of Akıncı to the UAE in its official X page without any further details.

Future operators 

 Kyrgyz Air Force

 Royal Saudi Air Force

Specifications

See also
 Baykar Bayraktar Mini UAV
 Baykar Bayraktar TB1
 Baykar Bayraktar TB2
 Baykar Bayraktar TB3
 Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma
 TAI Anka
 TAI Aksungur
 TAI Anka 3
 Vestel Karayel

References

Akinci
Twin-boom aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft
Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles
Aircraft first flown in 2019
Gull-wing aircraft
2010s Turkish military aircraft