Akinci

The Bayraktar Akıncı (Turkish: 'Raider') is a high-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) manufactured by Baykar, Turkey's leading drone company. At SAHA 2026 in Istanbul on 5 May 2026, Saudi Arabia signed a parallel Akıncı deal described by Turkish authorities as Turkey's biggest-ever aviation export, announced simultaneously with Baykar's landmark first export of the larger Kızılelma to Indonesia. The Saudi deal builds on an earlier framework agreement worth reportedly more than $3 billion that involves local assembly through a joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), targeting 70% local content.

Akıncı is Baykar's largest and most capable platform: twin-turboprop engines (450-850 hp each), a 20 m wingspan, 12.2 m length, maximum take-off weight of approximately 6,000 kg, and a payload capacity of 1,500 kg across internal and external stations. Endurance exceeds 24 hours at a service ceiling of around 40,000 ft, placing it in the same performance class as the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper in endurance while carrying a heavier weapons load. Akıncı can carry air-to-air, air-to-ground, and stand-off Cruise Missiles, and has demonstrated tri-mode guidance in recent tests. It is significantly larger and more capable than the Bayraktar TB2, though smaller than the jet-powered Kızılelma.

The Saudi Akıncı deal cements Turkey's position as a credible Tier 2 arms exporter and tests the Gulf's appetite for non-Western defence hardware. Akıncı's relevance extends well beyond the drone beat: Turkey-Saudi defence relations, Gulf procurement strategy, and Middle East air-power balances are all shaped by this export.