Turkish defence company BAYKAR were showing off their Bayraktar Akinci drone in Paris. Akinci is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that first flew in 2019 and entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces on 29 August 2021.
The aircraft has a 5.5+ ton maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), of which over 1,350 kg (2,980 lb) is payload. Akıncı is powered by two turboprop engines of either 450 hp (460 PS; 340 kW) or 750 hp (760 PS; 560 kW) and is equipped with electronic support and ECM systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and advanced synthetic-aperture radar. It is apparently the first UAV capable of launching a cruise missile.
On 7 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı set an altitude record by cruising at 38,039 feet (11,594 m) for 25 hours and 46 minutes covering a distance of 7,507 km. On 10 July 2021, Bayraktar Akıncı conducted a 13 hours and 24 minute long flight with a 1360 kg payload. During the flight Akıncı was equipped with the NEB bunker buster bomb developed by TUBITAK SAGE, making it the heaviest bomb ever carried by an UAV.
