ByDylan Malyasov
Oct 26, 2021
Defense
Ukrainian Armed Forces have employed the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone for the first time in combat, Mil.in.ua reported Tuesday.
Citing a report from volunteer Roman Donik, Mil.in.ua reported that Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 armed drones were used for the first time to destroy enemy artillery that fired on the village of Granitne, after which the Russian-backed separatists announced the alleged liberation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the village of Staromaryivka.
The Bayraktar TB2 managed to find, track and destroy a 122mm D-30 howitzer south of occupied Boykivske (formerly called Telmanovo). The howitzer had been responsible for the attacks against the village of Granitne.
Roman Donik noted that it was decided to use Ukrainian armed drones to strike from a distance of more than 15 km, to save the lives of civilians and soldiers.
“In response, to save the lives of soldiers and civilians, a Bayraktar UAV was raised in the air, a battery was found, and the howitzer was destroyed by a missile,” the volunteer wrote.
A Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle can carry a maximum payload of more than 150 kg. The drone can fly up to 22,500 feet and loiter for more than 24 hours.
Bayraktar TB2 drones, which entered the Turkish army’s inventory in 2014, are currently used by Turkey, Ukraine, Qatar, and Azerbaijan.
In recent years, Turkey’s defense and aviation companies made significant achievements in research and development, as well as production and export. Turkey is among six countries in the world that can produce its own drones.
Dylan Malyasov is a U.S. defense journalist and commentator and aviation photographer. He leads Defence Blog’s coverage of global military news, focusing on engineering and technology across the U.S. defense industry.