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Bayraktar Mini

2007 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Story of the Bayraktar Mini

In the military, a "mini" unmanned aerial system (Mini UAS) is a growing branch of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) field, consisting of portable unmanned systems suitable for deployment in a class - usually manually activated and easily recover. Since then, many manufacturers have seized the opportunity to bring this product to the lucrative market, with more to come.

Turkey, a country that once relied heavily on foreign technology to solidify its military foothold in the Middle East, is now able to seek solutions from within - in 2007, Baykar Makina delivered their self-developed Bayraktar mini-UAS to the Turkish Armed Forces.

The first flight of this UAS was recorded in October 2006. Production has since exceeded 500 units.

The micro-UAS provides ground forces with an easy-to-use, rapid-response local intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR) capability. It features automatic takeoff, landing and waypoint management systems, encrypted communication feeds and automatic tracking.

It is launched manually by the operator and, if required, can be managed from the Ground Control Station (GCS), while recovery is by belly landing or - in an emergency - by a deployable parachute. The aircraft has a communication range of up to 10 kilometers, and the aircraft is certified to operate at altitudes of 12,000 feet.

Battery life is up to 60 minutes.

Dimensions include 1.2m overall length and 1.6m wingspan. The weight is 3.5 kg. Drive power comes from a battery powered device.

Developed two main variants of Bayraktar: "Bayraktar A" and "Bayraktar B". The latter has a larger wingspan and slightly improved capabilities on the battlefield.

The A model has a CCD and thermal imager on a fixed mount, while the B model has the same arrangement but with a trainable mount for greater tactical flexibility.