Mountain Drones: Kyrgyzstan’s Bayraktar TB2s

 

In late October 2021 it was announced that the mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan had placed an order for three Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs from Baykar Tech. [1] The news of the deal came as a surprise not only because Kyrgyzstan was previously not believed to have a requirement for UCAVs, but also because Kyrgyzstan possesses little in the way of an air force in the first place. In fact, the Kyrgyz Air Force first began to operationally deploy fixed-wing aircraft in 2018, and that only because it received two An-26 transport aircraft from Russia free of charge. [2] On the 18th of December 2021 the much-anticipated TB2s entered service with the Kyrgyz State Border Guard Service. [3] The TB2s are the first aerial assets known to have entered service with the State Border Guard. In October 2022 it was further revealed that Kyrgyzstan is eyeing the acquisition of several Bayraktar Akıncıs. [4]

The Kyrgyz Armed Forces has for the most part relied on Russian generosity for the acquisition of new equipment ever since its establishment in 1992. In 2018 and 2019 Kyrgyzstan received four Mi-8 helicopters and two P-18 radars free of charge. [8] [9] Also supplied by Russia over the last decade were four L-39s jet trainers, two An-26 transport aircraft, several dozen BTR-70M and BRDM-2M armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and small arms and ammunition. In 2020 it was announced that the transfer of Buk-M1 SAM systems to Kyrgyzstan was being discussed with Russia. [10]

Other sources of arms and equipment include China, which has delivered a range of small arms and armoured vehicles starting in the late 2010s and the United States, which donated 45 Ford Ranger pickups, 44 Polaris ATVs and an unknown number of Navistar International 7000 trucks. [11] Türkiye's military support has so far encompassed the construction of a new building for the Military Institute (formerly the Frunze Military Aviation School), the donation of miscellaneous equipment and training Kyrgyz military personnel in Turkish defence institutions. [12] [13] [14]

 

Over the years, the Mi-8 has become the workhorse of the Kyrgyz Air Force. Some five examples still remain active with the Kyrgyz Air Force after one example crashed during a mission to rescue a Japanese climber in 2018. [15] Two Mi-24V attack helicopters also nominally remain on strength with the Kyrgyz Air Force, although these appear to be seldomly flown. Instead, the Kyrgyz Air Force deploys its Mi-8MT(V) in a gunship configuration. These rotorcraft can be armed with up to six rocket or gun pods and some examples additionally carry a 7.62mm PK LMG in their nose. Kyrgyzstan has also deployed its Mi-8s as makeshift bombers armed with up to six bombs each.

 

 

The Bayraktar TB2s are based at a newly-constructed facility at Jalal-Abad airport in the west of the country. [16] This facility was constructed in November 2021 shortly before the delivery of the TB2s. Due to the mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan and the lack of major population centers, few airports are located throughout the country. Nonetheless, the TB2s have sufficient range to cover almost the entirety of the country when operating out of Jalal-Abad.

 

The Bayraktar TB2 is not the first type of UAV to be acquired by Kyrgyzstan. In late August 2021 it was revealed that Kyrgyzstan had procured WJ-100 reconnaissance UAVs from China. [17] [18] The WJ-100 is equipped with a FLIR turret but unlike the Bayraktar TB2 is unarmed and has an endurance of just three hours (compared to some 27 hours for the TB2). [18] The Kyrgyz Armed Forces are to be further strengthened through the acquisition of six Russian Orlan-10 UAVs, which have also entered service with the Russian Armed Forces stationed at Kant air base. [19] [20] The country has also developed a smaller UCAV type known as the Saara-02, which is currently undergoing testing. [21]

At first glance, the acquisition of three Bayraktar TB2s by Kyrgyzstan might seem less spectacular than the purchase of TB2s by countries like Ukraine and Morocco. Nonetheless, there is perhaps no sale that demonstrates the benefits of the TB2 so much as the one by Kyrgyzstan. Having for decades operated no armed fixed-wing aircraft due to a lack of funds and expertise, the TB2 (and in the future: the Akıncı) presents itself as the first asset that combines effective results with reliability and low acquisition and operating costs. With three out of five Central Asian countries now operating Turkish drones, all eyes are on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as Turkish drones are rapidly conquering the regional UCAV market.