Türkiye’s leading drone manufacturer has unveiled its newest long-range kamikaze drone, capable of operating alongside other drones without human intervention. The K2 Kamikaze UAV, developed by Baykar, can carry out missions up to 2,000km from its launch point.

The drone, the largest in its class, can fly for more than 13 hours and reach speeds exceeding 200 kilometres per hour. Baykar said the project aims to produce high-impact unmanned aircraft that can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost.

The company, which controls around 60% of the global armed drone market, added that future versions of the aircraft may be able to return to base after completing their mission.

During recent tests, five K2 drones took off from Baykar’s flight training and test centre in Türkiye’s north-western Edirne province. The aircraft carried out formation flight exercises above the Saros Gulf over several days.

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Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology, said of the K2 Kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Baykar: “These steps, which will go down in Turkish history as the greatest innovative military capability developed since the conquest of Istanbul, have already changed a great deal in the world and will continue to do so.”

The K2 has a maximum take-off weight of around 800 kilograms and can carry a 200-kilogram warhead.

In recent years, Türkiye has emerged as one of the world’s leading producers of aerial drones. Baykar alone exports UAVs to more than 35 countries worldwide.

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