Turkish drone manufacturers made serious progress after 2010 in the development of domestic and national unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and smartmunitions. The biggest reason for this is the excellent combat capability of Turkish-made drones on the battlefield.
Turkish drone manufacturers are trying to make a place for themselves in the market where America, Israel, and China are the giants of the worldwide MALE (medium altitude, long endurance) drone industry. This may be possible with the unique features of Turkish-made drones on the battlefield.
We have prepared lists of the top Turkish manufacturers in several sectors. As a Turkey sourcing agency, I highly recommend reading “Comprehensive Guide to Turkey Sourcing: Top Turkish Manufacturers and Industries” to obtain a better grasp of practically every Turkish production area.
Contents
- 1 Major Turkish Drone Manufacturers
- 1.1 Baykar National A/UAV Systems, Istanbul
- 1.2 STM Defense Technologies, Engineering, and Trade Inc., Ankara
- 1.3 Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc., Ankara
- 1.4 Baibars Mechatronics & Aviation LTD, Mersin
- 1.5 MR Aviation Technology, Istanbul
- 1.6 Pavotek, Istanbul
- 1.7 Aviation and Astronautics Industry Inc. (Hubsan), Ankara
- 1.8 Asis Electronics and Information Systems Inc., Ankara
- 1.9 Aselsan, Ankara
- 1.10 Vestel, Manisa
- 2 Ukraine Used Turkish Drones Against Russia
- 3 Rising Star: Turkish Drone Sector
- 4 Projections of the Turkish Drone Sector
- 5 What Can We Do for You?
- 6 Frequently Asked Questions
Major Turkish Drone Manufacturers
Below, I present the top 10 Turkish drone manufacturers, based on my research. Technical descriptions of drones would take too much time to write, so instead I will provide the drone brands of each manufacturer. That being said, by only knowing the drone model, you will be able to access all technical specifications from the Turkish drone manufacturer’s own promotional page.
Baykar National A/UAV Systems, Istanbul
Founded in 1986, the company has sold more than 500 UAVs so far and has 3,600 employees. The drone models are BAYRAKTAR TB2 and AKINCI.
STM Defense Technologies, Engineering, and Trade Inc., Ankara
Established in 1991, this Turkish drone manufacturer has 5 globally-known tactical mini UAV systems. These are: TOGAN (Multi-Rotor UAS for Tactical Surveillance and Reconnaissance), KARGU (Combat Proven Rotary Wing Loitering Munition System), ALPAGU (Fixed Wing Loitering Munition System), BOYGA (Autonomous Multi-Rotor Combat UAS with Mortar Payload), and ALPAGUT (Smart Loitering Munition System).
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc., Ankara
The short name for this company is TUSAS. The company was established in Kayseri in 1973. Currently, its headquarters are in Ankara. Drone models are in three categories:
- Operative and Strategic UAV Systems: ANKA
- High Payload Capacity UAS: AKSUNGUR
- Target Drone Systems: SİMSEK, TURNA
Baibars Mechatronics & Aviation LTD, Mersin
This drone manufacturer offers drones to meet the technological needs of Turkish farmers. Among other strong Turkish drone manufacturers operating in the military field, it stands out with its solutions for individuals. Brands: Baibars VH-10, Baibars VH-20, Baibars VH-30, Baibars ND-10 RTK, Baibars ND-20s RTK, Baibars K-VI.
MR Aviation Technology, Istanbul
This Turkish drone manufacturer has drones for agricultural use. Their drones are used for crop monitoring, irrigation, spraying, and fertilization. Brands: Raven-TAR Agricultural Drone, Raven Industrial Drone (Multipurpose Payload Drone).
Pavotek, Istanbul
With more than 400 employees, Pavotek has two drone models, which are the Gök Alp Quadrator Drone and the Gök Alp Vtol Drone. These drones can be used for industrial, defense, health, agriculture, environmental health, and logistics.
Aviation and Astronautics Industry Inc. (Hubsan), Ankara
Hubsan’s service area in the Ankara Ostim Organized Industrial Zone is 4,500 square meters. The company launched the first Turkish-made hobby drone, the Aden E58 I, which set a precedent for the industry. To anyone in the market for a personal drone, I say give this one serious consideration.
Asis Electronics and Information Systems Inc., Ankara
This Turkish drone manufacturer operates under the brand ASISGUARD, which also implies other solutions in addition to their “Rotary-Wing Armed/Unarmed Drone Systems”. Their basic UAV brand is SONGAR Armed Drone System, which is the first armed drone in Turkish Armed Forces inventory to be effectively used in any kind of day or night military and security operations.
Aselsan, Ankara
This Turkish drone manufacturer developed SAKA, a brand of tiny UAVs. SAKA is a lightweight (500 gr) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a minimum flight time of 25 minutes, a communication range of 2 km, a flexible software architecture, and a safe and encrypted communication system. Aselsan is a publicly traded corporation that belongs to the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation.
Vestel, Manisa
I reviewed this company in my Turkish fridge manufacturers article. Vestel, a company that has found success in many other markets, manufactures a drone sold under the brand name KARAYEL.
Ukraine Used Turkish Drones Against Russia
In the Ukraine-Russia war (2022), the successes achieved by Ukraine with the Bayraktar TB2 UAV belonging to Baykar Defense, one of the Turkish drone manufacturers, attracted the attention of everyone who follows this sector closely. The footage showed Turkish drones destroying Russian armored vehicles, air defense systems, howitzers, tankers, and trucks. These images reveal the military capabilities of Turkish drones.
Turkish drone manufacturers demonstrated their superior fighting capabilities not only in Ukraine but also in Libya in 2019, in Syria in February 2020, and in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan in September 2020 (Source: SETA Foundation for Politics, Economics, and Social Research, Discussions on Turkey’s S/UAV Industry)
Rising Star: Turkish Drone Sector
Thanks to the achievements I have outlined above, Turkish drone manufacturers have become one of the top three UAV exporting countries in a very short time.
STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. was ranked among the “World’s Top 10 Drone Technology Producing Companies” by the media platform “CIO Applications Europe”.
As of 2022, the number of people with UAV amateur sports and commercial pilot licenses in Turkey is over 50,000 (Source: Turkish Aeronautical Association, UAV).
Projections of the Turkish Drone Sector
American-made UAV platforms have advanced technologies, but they are very expensive, and the US’s export policy is very strict. For this reason, only a few Gulf countries, which are rich strategic partners of the USA, can purchase American-made UAVs.
Israel’s UAV platforms are also very advanced and are in high demand, especially in the Asian market. However, these are generally used in ISR missions.
Finally, China has a highly developed UAV portfolio. Cheap Chinese goods were sold to many states, especially African countries. However, they have serious problems in terms of the quality of the technology.
Turkey can enter the market where there are countries that do not want to buy Chinese technology and do not want to be subject to US restrictions and limitations (source: SETA Politics, Economics, and Social Research Foundation, Discussions on Turkey’s S/UAV Industry).
What Can We Do for You?
Turkish drone manufacturers have showcased their prowess on the global stage by offering top-notch, reliable, and innovative drones that cater to a diverse range of industries.
Pelotek Sourcing recognizes the growing demand for innovative drone solutions in a variety of industries. We aim to connect you with the top Turkish drone manufacturers, whether you are in the defense industry searching for high-endurance drones or a small business looking for cost-effective aerial solutions.
Our cornerstone content, titled Manufacturing in Turkey: A Full Overview, presents the top ten manufacturing industries in Turkey. My next post is “Turkish Glassware Manufacturers.“
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BUKENYA HARUNAH.
Currently, we do not source shotguns, rifles, drones, etc. This post is intended for general information. Thank you for your interest in our company.