Baykar signs new cooperation agreement with Ukraine at defense industry fair

Turkish combat drone manufacturer Baykar has signed a new cooperation agreement with Ukraine during the Saha Expo defense industry fair in Türkiye on 22 October.

Bayraktar drones played a significant role in the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the TB2 delivering effective strikes against Russian equipment. However, their impact waned as Russia improved air defenses. Ukraine and Türkiye strengthen ties through planned localized production and technological partnerships, integrating Ukrainian engines like those from Ivchenko-Progress and Motor Sich into advanced models of Bayraktars such as Akıncı and Kızılelma.

According to Baykar’s Facebook post, the signing ceremony was attended by the company’s General Manager Haluk Bayraktar, who serves as SAHA Istanbul’s Chairman of the Board.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says the country’s delegation at the signing ceremony included FM Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian MP and Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev, and other officials.

While specific details of the agreement remain undisclosed, before the signing, Baykar’s general director presented Minister Sybiha with a model of the Kızılelma supersonic jet drone featuring Ukrainian symbols. Last year’s reports indicated that Baykar was going to produce Kızılelma at the Ukrainian factory.

“Today is the 972nd day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine continues to defend itself. We are grateful to our Turkish partners for their solidarity and assistance. We need additional support from all our partners to overcome Russian aggression and restore comprehensive, just and lasting peace,” Sybiрa said at the ceremony.

Baykar chief Haluk Bayraktar (seated right) signs an agreement with a Ukrainian official, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (standing left) present. Drone models on the table (left to right): Bayraktar Akıncı, Kızılelma, TB2. Photo: Telegram/МЗС України.

The minister also called on Turkish companies to actively invest in the development of Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex.

In April, Ukraine signed three undisclosed contracts with Baykar.

Baykar’s drone factory in Ukraine

Back in February, Haluk Bayraktar reported that the company’s drone manufacturing plant in Kyiv Oblast was under construction, with completion expected in about 12 months. Following construction, the company plans to install necessary equipment and establish organizational structure.

The facility will have the capacity to produce approximately 120 drones annually, though the specific model to be manufactured has not yet been selected, according to Bayraktar.

The construction of the facility reportedly started in July.

The Bayraktar Kızılelma is a jet-powered supersonic stealth carrier-capable unmanned aircraft being developed by Turkish defense company Baykar Makina. The project was first presented on paper on 4 August 2021, and within a year, Kizilema reached the prototype stage.

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