Baykar is already building a plant near Kiev for the production of UAVs, where 500 people will work
Kyiv • UNN
Turkish drone maker Baykar has announced that it is building a new factory near Kyiv that will employ 500 people to produce its TB2 and TB3 models.
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has announced the start of construction of its plant in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters with reference to the Turkish company, UNN reports.
Details
The executive director of the Turkish defense company told Reuters that Baykar is building its new factory near Kyiv. It is noted that it will employ about 500 people who will work on the production of TB2 or TB3 drone models.
Our plant is under construction... we need about 12 months to complete the construction and then we will move on to the internal machinery, equipment and organizational structure.
Bayraktar director Haluk also noted that the capacity will be about 120 units annually. However, it is still unclear whether production at the Ukrainian plant will focus on the TB2 or TB3 drone model.
Asked if war-related security issues could pose risks to the plant, he said that plans are "fully moving forward" and that "nothing" can stop them.
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Bayraktar also said that the company plans to start production in Saudi Arabia in the next two years.
The announcement follows a deal in July to sell Bayraktar Akinci, another type of drone, to Saudi Arabia in what Baykar called the largest defense contract in Turkish history.
Bayraktar said that looking at the current year, the firm plans to double Akinci's domestic production of 36 units in 2023, while TB2 production will remain unchanged at 230 units.
It also aims to produce the new Kızılema and TB3 drone models "by the dozens," he added.
According to the SIPRI analytical center, Baykar has agreements with 30 countries to export its TB2 drone. In particular, since 2018, they include Ukraine, Ethiopia, Libya, and Azerbaijan.
Recall
On February 2, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk , Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, met with Baykar Makina CEO Haluk Bayraktar. They discussed the construction of a drone manufacturing plant in Ukraine and strengthening the potential of unmanned aviation in Ukraine.
The Turkish company Baykar, which produces Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, announced last September that it was going to invest $100 million in three projects in Ukraine. In particular, it was noted that one of the investments is a drone production plant, the construction of which has already begun.
