Success of Polish fundraiser to buy a Bayraktar drone for Ukraine

For many years, military experts have been forecasting that UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) would mark the beginning of a new era in the history of armed conflicts. The Russian invasion into Ukraine launched on Feb.24 this year has proved that these predictions were true. Since the first days of the conflict, various footage has been released showing successful strikes carried out by Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drones on Russian targets, including tanks, armoured transport vehicles, artillery systems and many other types of military equipment. According to Ukrainian sources, as many as 180 units of Russian military equipment were destroyed on March 2 alone, thanks to Bayraktar drones.

The success of Bayraktar TB2 drones in Ukraine has turned the machines into a symbol of effective resistance put up by the Ukrainians against the aggressors from Russia. A song praising the drone has been written, and you can even experience controlling a Bayraktar in a video game. What is more, a newborn lemur from Kiev Zoo has been named after the Turkish military device.

A fundraiser organiser by Polish political scientist and journalist Sławomir Sierakowski, by Sunday (July 24) managed to collect 22.5 million zlotys to buy a Bayraktar drone for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The drone from Poles will not be the first one granted this way to Ukraine, as the Ukrainians and Lithuanians had already organised similar campaigns. So far, the successful fundraisers have led the Baykar company to grant Ukraine a total of four drones free of charge, while the collected money has been given to the Ukrainian nation.

Sierakowski also said that the excess funds collected in the Polish campaign would be transferred to the account of the Armed Forces at the National Bank of Ukraine.

The Turkish manufacturer informs at its website that further fundraisers have been launched also in Norway and Canada.

Bayraktar TB2 is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE), Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle capable of conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and armed attack missions. An onboard avionic suite with a triple redundant avionic system encompasses units enabling a fully autonomous taxiing, take-off, landing and cruise.

The drone is 6.5 metres long, has a wingspan of 12 metres, and it weighs 650 kilograms.

TB2 has proven its efficacy with over 400.000 of operational flight hours. Since 2014, it keeps carrying out missions successfully within the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie and the Turkish National Police.

Apart from its main function - carrying out air reconeissance - the drone can be also used to guide artillery attacks and conducting direct strikes on enemy targets. Each drone can carry up to four laser guided smart ammunition - its maximum takeoff weight is 700 kg.

Currently, 257 Bayraktar platforms are at the service of Turkey, Qatar, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Bayraktar TB2 holds the record in the Turkish aviation history for endurance (with 27 hours 3 minutes) and for altitude (with 25.030 feet). Bayraktar TB2 is also the first-ever aircraft in its category to be exported abroad.

Furthermore, Bayraktar drones are to be purchased by the Polish Army by the end of 2022. At the same time, the manufacturer has vowed never to sell the drones to Russia.

Due to the success of Bayraktar TB2 drones, their manufacturer - the Baykar company - has already informed that in 2023 it will launch production of the next generation drone named Bayraktar Kızılelma. The new deviced are to be even more accurate, fly longer distances at higher altitudes, and be harder to detect by the enemy.