ANKARA (Middle East Eye) – The United Arab Emirates is in negotiations to make a major purchase of armed drones from Turkish producer Baykar, two people familiar with the negotiations told Middle East Eye.
The talks between Baykar and state companies within the Emirati arms procurement agency Tawazun to supply the firm’s famed Bayraktar TB2 drones have continued since March, according to the sources.
Bayraktar TB2 drones have a proven track record against adversaries in conflicts in Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. But they had not been used against an army with sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities and state-of-the-art air defense systems until the Russian operation in Ukraine, where they have been deployed by Ukrainian forces.
So far they have proved extremely effective in combating Russian troops deployed deep inside Ukrainian territory, as well as within Russia’s borders.
One of the sources said the negotiations were focusing on the supply of 120 TB2 Bayraktars. “They will come with a package of ammunition, command and control centers, and training. Together it could be a deal of up to $2bn,” the source said.
The source added that some of the components of the TB2 might be produced in a Baykar plant in the UAE, if the deal goes forward.
One industry insider told MEE that each Bayraktar TB2 goes for $5m and each aircraft requires 100 MAM-L smart micro munitions, which together are worth $15m. There is also an additional cost for training as well as the command-and-control centers, which varies on the number of drones since each center can control up to six.
MEE has asked the UAE authorities for comment.
Baykar has ties to the family of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One of its top engineers, Selcuk Bayraktar, is married to Erdogan’s daughter, Sumeyye.