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Turkey Baykar
Bayraktar Akinci
A twin-turboprop, high-altitude long-endurance combat drone that scales up Baykar's Bayraktar family into a heavier strike platform capable of carrying air-to-air and precision-guided munitions. It gives Turkey an indigenous alternative to larger Western and Chinese strike UAVs.
In service since 2021 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
361
km/h
300
km range
12,200
m ceiling
1,350
kg payload
💲 ≈ $30,000,000 — Publicly cited export system unit price estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Türkiye export-licensed
SSB-administered; growing export programme, some Western sub-component dependencies.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 2021. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$75M – $105M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 361 km/h Stronger than 76% of UAVs
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 250 km/h Stronger than 87% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 300 km Stronger than 46% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 12,200 m Stronger than 82% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 24 h Stronger than 68% of UAVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 6 Stronger than 68% of UAVs
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 1,350 kg Stronger than 78% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 12.5 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 20 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 3,300 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 6,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x PD170 turbodiesel piston engines
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbodiesel, pusher propeller
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- CATS electro-optical/infrared/laser designator turret, AESA radar (optional)
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- LOS datalink, SATCOM
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $30,000,000 Stronger than 21% of UAVs
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 24% of UAVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 65% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public Baykar and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9A Reaper Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci has a maximum speed of 361 km/h.
What is the range of the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci has a maximum range of 300 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci can carry up to 1,350 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci weigh? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci has a combat weight of 6,000 kg.
How many crew does the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci require? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci use? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci is powered by the 2x PD170 turbodiesel piston engines.
What is the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci used for? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support, deep strike.
How many countries operate the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci cost? +
The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci has an approximate unit cost of 30,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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