The Turkish company Baykar reported on the production of the anniversary 500th Bayraktar TB2 strike UAV, well known to Ukrainians. This was reported by the social accounts of the manufacturer.

The first flight of the Bayraktar TB2 took place in August 2014, the first test with the use of weapons took place in 2015. The first combat use of the UAV took place in 2018 in Iraqi Kurdistan. After that, Bayraktar TB2 participated in operations in Syria, in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, since the beginning of the russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine, these UAVs are actively used against the russian invaders.

The main operator of Bayraktar TB2 is the Turkish army, which has more than 200 UAVs of this type in service. Ukraine was one of the first foreign countries to order TB2. After the start of the full-scale invasion, when the Bayraktar TB2s showed their ability to destroy the equipment of the “second army of the world”, Baykar received new orders from Poland, Niger, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Kosovo and other countries. Japan, Romania, Kuwait, Albania and Iraq are among the possible future operators of Bayraktar TB2.

As a reminder, the company Baykar plans to assemble its UAVs in Ukraine. According to the latest information, the plant should be operational in 2025, and the first works on the construction site have already begun.