NEW DELHI: Amidst the economic crisis in Pakistan, Turkey has delivered the first batch of cutting-edge Baykar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to the Pakistani Air Force.
The Baykar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle comes under the high-altitude long endurance (HALE) drone category and can be equipped with ammunition.
The initial assessment is that around six to seven drones are part of the delivery package. As per the reports, this drone can fire cruise missile systems at any altitude.
The Akinci is the Turkish word for “Raider” and is said to be capable of executing air-to-ground and air-to-air attack operations.
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The drone was first tested in December 2019 and its mass production started in May 2021 with its induction into the Turkish Armed Forces in August of that same year.
The combat drone is 12.2 meters in length, 4.1 meters in height, and has a wingspan of 20 meters. Its takeoff weight is 5,500 kilograms, with a maximum payload of 1,350 kilograms, and it can fly at 40,000 feet (12,192 meters).
The drone is capable of collecting and processing data from onboard sensors and cameras using powerful Artificial Intelligence features.
The economic turmoil faced by the Pakistani economy has pushed it towards the imminent risk of default. Also, the discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding a $7 billion bailout package have stalled. But, Pakistan has gone ahead with the acquisition of the Akinci UCAVs.