The Kenyan armed forces may likely be the newest user of the popular Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone.
Baykar the manufacturer of the TB2 drone posted on its social media on 23 August that Trainees from our friendly and brotherly country, Kenya, have successfully completed their Bayraktar TB2 UCAV training at the Baykar Flight Training Center in Keşan and graduated.
This indicates that Kenya may soon receive the unmanned system. The Bayraktar TB2 can carry lightweight, laser-guided bombs and fly for up to 27 hours at a time.
According to Military Africa’s Drone Procurement Dataset, Kenya operates a number of tactical and long-range drones, including three Turkish Aerospace Anka-S MALE drone acquired in 2015, six Unmanned Aeronautics GhostRay drone, five Boeing Insitu Scan Eagles, and eight AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven acquired in 2012.
The TB2 drones — priced under $2-$5 million each according to estimates — are produced by the defense company Baykar, which belongs to the family of Selcuk Bayraktar, the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Bayraktar is the company’s chief technical officer.
African states are increasingly acquiring Turkish drones to fight armed groups after they proved to be effective in various conflicts around the world.
With Turkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 Drone, Turkiye has been experiencing high demand on collaboration with African countries. In Africa, the TB2 Bayraktar model is in high demand after it was used during the conflicts in Libya and Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the past few years.
The acquisition aligns with a growing trend among African countries to adopt Turkish drones as a means to combat armed groups and enhance security. The Bayraktar TB2’s proven track record in conflicts such as Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh war has made it a highly sought-after weapon system.
Togo, which is struggling to curb the infiltration of jihadist fighters moving south from Burkina Faso have acquired the type.
Niger acquired half a dozen of these versatile and affordable drones for its military operations against insurgent groups in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, and around Lake Chad.
But the first to use these potent surveillance and strike weapons on the continent may well have been the UN-recognised government in Libya – where they were spotted as early as 2019 and may have helped Tripoli’s forces hold off eastern rebels.
For African buyers, especially poorer countries, drones provide the chance to develop significant air power without the vast cost in equipment and years of elite training required to develop a conventional air strike force of manned jets. This is a particular attraction for states such as Niger and Togo.
Kenya joins a list of African nations that have already acquired or expressed interest in the Bayraktar TB2, including Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Togo, Niger, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mali, and Angola. The drone’s affordability and effectiveness make it a particularly attractive option for countries with limited defense budgets.
The acquisition of the Bayraktar TB2 is expected to provide Kenya with a significant advantage in its efforts to maintain security and stability within its borders. As the drone becomes operational, it will undoubtedly play a crucial role in enhancing the country’s military capabilities and contributing to regional peace and security.
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