Uzbekistan fielding Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs

An image released by the Office of the President of Uzbekistan on 16 November showed the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 UCAV in national service. (Office of the President of Uzbekistan)

Uzbekistan has been shown to be an operator of the Turkish-built Baykar Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), with the country's office of the president releasing an image of multiple air vehicles on 16 November.

The press release posted to mark a visit by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to the Surxondaryo Region of the central Asian country included an image showing four TB2 UCAVs armed with four Roketsan air-to-surface missiles per aircraft.

“The flight of the Bayraktar TB2 reconnaissance drone was demonstrated to the head of our state,” the press release said.

The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was developed to provide the Turkish Armed Forces with a tactical intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. According to Janes All the World's Aircraft : Unmanned, the Bayraktar TB2 is 6.5 m long and has a 12 m wingspan. With a maximum take-off weight of 630 kg, the air vehicle can carry up to 55 kg in mission system and/or weapons payload. Performance specifications give the Bayraktar TB2 a cruising speed of 70 kt, a range of 150 km, an endurance of 24 hours, and a service ceiling of about 30,000 ft.