Ukraine Army commander, CEO Baykar Makina talk combat UAVs plans
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi and CEO of the Turkey-based Baykar Makina, Haluk Bayraktar, talked of setting up a working group on unmanned aerial vehicles for Ukraine’s Army.
That’s according to Zaluzhny’s report posted on Facebook November 18, Ukrinform reports.
“Today I had an important meeting with the CEO of the Turkish company Baykar Makina, Mr. Haluk Bayraktar. We discussed the establishment of a permanent working group on unmanned aerial vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the commander-in-chief wrote.
Zaluzhnyi recalled that Bayraktar TB2 drones had proved effective, including in the zone of the Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine. Therefore, the Armed Forces will further enhance tactics and methods of their combat use to deter Russian aggression and protect Ukraine’s interests.
Zaluzhnyi thanked Bayraktar for supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and remaining open to further cooperation.
According to the military chief, the company plans to continue production of the latest-generation Akinci drones, fitted with Ukrainian engines.
Baykar Makina is working on the construction and installation of a joint training and testing center for UAV maintenance, current repairs, and modernization. On September 29, 2021, Ukraine and Turkey also signed a memorandum providing for the training of Bayraktar drone operators.
As Ukrinform reported, on November 12, following a visit to the Joint Forces Operation zone, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced that the ministry next year would acquire more Bayraktar combat UAVs for the needs of the Armed Forces.