Albania to buy Turkish-made combat drones

Albania has decided to purchase armed Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aircraft, which has been used to great effect in various recent conflicts, including in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh region.

According to Airrecognition.com, Albania can be the next country that will buy Bayraktar TB-2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle after Poland, Ukraine, Qatar and Azerbaijan.

The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 is a tactical armed unmanned aircraft, developed and manufactured by Baykar. The system consists of the Bayraktar TB2 drone platform, ground control station, ground data terminal, remote display terminal, advanced base with generator and trailer modules.

Baykar says the TB2 has proven its efficacy with over 300,000 of operational flight hours. Since 2014, it keeps carrying out missions successfully within the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie and the Turkish National Police. Currently, 160 Bayraktar platforms are at the service of Turkey, Qatar, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Bayraktar TB2 is the first-ever aircraft in its category to be exported abroad.

French newspaper Le Monde early said Turkish armed drones “sell like hot cakes”. Turkey has directed its military industry to produce unmanned aerial vehicles and has increased exports daily, said the newspaper.

“Inexpensive and effective” armed drones produced by the Baykar company in Turkey has changed the course of conflicts by shooting down tanks, armored vehicles, ammunition depots and air defense systems in three conflict zones where they were used in 2020.

In less than 10 years, Turkey has become a leading combat drone manufacturer, along with the US, Israel and China, said Le Monde.