Burkina Faso Puts Bayraktar Akıncı Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Into Service
On April 8, the Burkina Faso Air Force put two Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicles, procured from Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar Defense, into service at a ceremony held at Sapone air base in the south of the capital Ouagadougou. At the ceremony, in addition to the two Bayraktar Akıncı drones, the HGK-82 and TEBER-82 guided general purpose bombs and Turkish-made smart munitions such as MAM-T and MAM-L, which will be employed with 8these unmanned systems, were also exhibited. At the event, which was attended by senior military officials such as Burkina Faso Interim President Captain Ibrahim Traore and Minister of Defense Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly, three of the five Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles that Burkina Faso procured from Baykar Defense in 2022 were also seen.
At the ceremony, Burkina Faso Interim President Captain İbrahim Traore expressed satisfaction in “putting a certain number of aircraft, especially Bayraktar TB2s and Bayraktar Akıncıs, at the service of defense.” According to the Head of State, “TB2 needs no introduction. It has proven its worth since the beginning of this war. In my opinion, Akıncı, which is new and exceeds the technical capabilities envisaged by the manufacturer, was subjected to serious tests in terms of its carrying capacity, durability, ceiling, speed, performance and so on. It took part in combat missions during testing. These are the high-performance, reliable aircraft we have now.”
Continuing his speech, the interim President thanked his Turkish counterpart for the support he gave to Burkina Faso at this important stage of its history, adding: “Today we can say that our cooperation with Turkey is going very well. On this occasion, I would like to thank the President of Turkey, His Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who managed this cooperation very well. This is the kind of partnership we need: healthy and sincere.”
Details such as the cost of the contract signed by Burkina Faso with Baykar, how many Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicles it covers, and the configuration of these vehicles are currently unknown. As a result, it will be revealed in the coming days whether the current delivery will cover the entire contract or if additional equipment batches will be delivered to Burkina Faso in the future.
The Burkina Faso Armed Forces are expected to use Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicles together with Bayraktar TB2s against Al Qaeda and DAESH affiliated terrorist groups threatening the Sahel region (Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea). According to the Global Terrorism Index 2022, 48% of terrorist attacks worldwide are carried out in the Sahel region. On the African continent, millions of people are displaced from their homes and countries of origin, while tens of thousands of innocent people lose their lives every year.
In a statement posted on his X account, Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar stated: “Many countries in Africa, such as Burkina Faso, are strengthening their defense capabilities with Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar AKINCI to prevent disintegration and protect their innocent citizens. With the introduction of national UAVs, the picture began to change. While states strengthen their control, innocent people look to the future with more confidence.”
Baykar Defense has signed export contracts with nine countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition to Burkina Faso, AKINCI UAVs have been purchased by Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Libya (unconfirmed), and Kyrgyzstan. The names of the other two countries with which export agreements for Bayraktar AKINCI UAVs were signed are currently unknown.