A single Turkish-made Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle has been seen in Libya, confirming that Libya may have taken the drone into service.
The Akinci drone was spotted in Libya during Turkey’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Metin Gürak visit to Libya.
Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Metin Gürak and Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh on Sunday met to discuss cooperation programs between their two countries’ general staffs and the issue of joint military exercises.
During his visit to Libya, Gürak conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s message to Prime Minister Dbeibeh emphasizing the historical relations between the two countries, according to a statement from the Libyan government.
Although, it is not certain when the Akinci UAV was delivered, however, it was seen spotting a Libyan flag on its rudder.
First report of Tripoli acquiring the Akinci was in 2022, when Libyan politician and businessman Abdulhamid Dbeibah who is the prime minister of Libya under the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli on Tuesday 25, October 2022 visited Turkey where he signed a military cooperation with the Turkish Defence Minister Akar Hulusi.
Local media reported at the time that a deal for the acquisition of the Turkish-built Akinci drone was later signed between both countries. This move consolidated Dbeibah’s grip on power by protecting his administration from a fresh offensive by Haftar’s force, although, Turkish military presence is already preventing such attempts.
Dbeibah previously released a statement hinting that the AKINCI have been used in clearing Khalifa Haftar’s forces and other illegals in the North African country.
The AKINCI in the picture appears to be the A variant with AI-450T turboshaft engines, each providing a maximum of 450 hp power.
Bayraktar Akıncı is a high-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle being manufactured by the Turkish defence company Baykar. The aircraft has a 5.5+ ton maximum takeoff weight, of which over 1,350 kg is payload.
Bayraktar AKINCI is capable of conducting operations that are performed with fighter jets. It carries electronic support systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar and synthetic aperture radar.
Bayraktar AKINCI can be used in air-to-ground and air-to-air attack missions as well. The Akinci has been acquired by Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
Libya already fields about 20 Bayrakter TB2 drones which was used extensively during the recent Civil war against Haftar’s Libyan National Army. Although, several of them was lost during the conflict. They were ordered in 2019.
On it’s own, Haftar’s LNA fields Chinese-made Wing Loong I (6 units) and Wing Loong II (10) units, as well as 12 Iranian Mohajer-4 drone, and 10 Russian-built Orlan-10 tacrical drones.
The 2019 civil war witnessed a widespread use of
drones by both sides, culminating into the largest drone warfare in the region. In the last conflict, the Turkish military used its drones to help Tripoli push back Haftar’s forces. Turkish drones particularly the Bayraktar TB2 significantly changed the course of the battle, winning them a victory over Haftar’s forces who were backed by Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Besides the drones, Libya is also slated to receive 12 Hürkuş-C light trainer and combat aircraft. The deal was signed on May 19 between LAF Chief of Staff Major General Mohammed Al-Sifaw Quilt and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) officials. No details were given on an expected delivery schedule.
Meanwhile, two Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones meant for Haftar was recently seized by the Italian authorities. The drones were found in containers, and disguised to look like wind turbine parts, Italian officials said. These were concealed within two cargo ships docked at the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy.
The drone was confiscated due to Libya’s military embargo imposed by the United Nations (UN). Three containers were impounded on June 18 from the ship MSC Arina and that officials were expecting another three to arrive over the weekend on the MSC Apolline.
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