On 21 October, the Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Baykar announced that the first batch of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operators have completed their training for the Bayraktar Akıncı, a twin-engine, 6-ton unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
https://twitter.com/BaykarTech/status/1583525643630714881
Together with a group of Azeri Air Force and Turkish Air Force personnel, the PAF operators comprise of the sixth training term or class qualifying for the Akıncı.
This announcement basically confirms Pakistan as one of the launch customers (alongside Azerbaijan and the Turkish Armed Forces) of the Akıncı. In March, the PAF had heavily hinted towards procuring the Akıncı and the Bayraktar TB2 through one of its promotional videos.
The induction of the Bayraktar Akıncı will be a significant step for the PAF. It would give the PAF its heaviest drone at 6 tons and, in turn, make it the first power to operationalize a drone of this size in South Asia. It would also unlock a wide range of capabilities across surveillance, intelligence, and strike domains.
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