In August 2023, the private Turkish defence contractor Baykar announced that it will conduct research and development (R&D) work at Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP).
Founded in 1984, Baykar started out as a subcontractor for precision machining equipment. However, in the 2000s, the company set out to supply defence equipment to the Turkish Armed Forces. It started out with drones, specifically a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for surveillance roles.
Since then, Baykar has grown into not just one of Turkey’s leading UAV suppliers, but a prominent player in the global drone market. Today, the company has several dozen customers across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan and North Africa, Central Europe, and South Asia.
Today, Baykar is moving towards developing more sophisticated UAVs, including a new loyal wingman and unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Bayraktar Kızılelma.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is a confirmed user of two Baykar drones: the Bayraktar TB2 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV and the Bayraktar Akıncı high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV.
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