Türkiye’s biggest drone-maker Baykar Tech has increased the rate of localization and developed an indigenous engine named BM100 for Bayraktar TB2.
Company’s CEO Haluk Bayraktar said; We have a production target of 20 units this year. We are then planning mass production. Bayraktar TB2 flies 250 thousand hours a year. This means the need for 200 spare engines per year. In general, the rate of localization in the defence industry is increasing.
Baykar plans to invest $300 million in aircraft engines in the next five years, and aims to indigenize the engine of Bayraktar Kızılelma within four years.
Bayraktar added that; The turbine engine is used in Bayraktar Akıncı and Bayraktar Kızılelma. As Baykar, we decided to invest in this area last year, and we are currently preparing for a very large investment. As Baykar, we will invest 300 million dollars in the next five years to produce the engines for these aircraft.
Haluk Bayraktar attributed Baykar’s success in the defence industry to the company’s focus on innovation and advanced technology. Bayraktar emphasized that the rate of indigenization in the defence industry is gradually increasing and that Baykar is a pioneer in this field.
He finally said; Within four years, Bayraktar Kızılelma’s engine will be indigenous. In general, we spent 1 billion dollars on the development of the Bayraktar Kızılelma project. If you want to compete with the world, you have to invest. I was in New York recently, and I had the opportunity to meet Elon Musk. I told him that I couldn’t buy a Tesla because I didn’t get my turn at TOGG, and instead I bought Tesla, which I could buy immediately. Musk praised Turkish companies. He told me that he had many parts of Tesla made by companies in Turkey.
