Bayraktar TB1
Turkish-US MALE prototype developed by the Kale-Baykar joint venture: progenitor of the Bayraktar TB family and direct ancestor of the famous TB2.
Bayraktar TB1
Turkish-US MALE prototype developed by the Kale-Baykar joint venture: progenitor of the Bayraktar TB family and direct ancestor of the famous TB2.
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- Bayraktar TB1
- Alias
- Bayraktar Block A
- Manufacturer
- Baykar / Kale-Baykar
- Country
- Turkey
- Year
- 2009
- Category
- ISR (Reconnaissance)
- Class
- Tactical (< 600 kg)
- Status
- Historic
Performance
- Range
- 100 km
- Endurance
- 20 h
- Top speed
- 150 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 5,500 m
- Propulsion
- Pistone Rotax 912, 100 hp, elica spintore
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 450 kg
- Payload
- 35 kg
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR gimbal
- Datalink / control
- Datalink LOS 150 km
- Launch
- Pista
- Recovery
- Pista
Combat use
- ▸TSK test and evaluation (2009-2014)
- ▸Technology-transfer platform for the subsequent TB2
Tags
Main operators
History
The TB1 emerged in 2007-2009 as an experimental project to prove Turkey's ability to build an indigenous MALE tactical drone, paving the way for the later TB2 mass production.
Although it never entered operational service, it allowed Baykar to acquire decisive know-how in composite airframe design and autonomous flight systems.
The Bayraktar TB1 was developed between 2007 and 2009 by the Kale-Baykar joint venture as a MALE technology demonstrator, in response to the US refusal to sell Turkey the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.
Although it never entered mass production, the TB1 was crucial to flight-validate the composite airframe, avionics architecture and autonomous flight system that would later feed into the Bayraktar TB2.
The TB1 programme demonstrated to the Turkish government the feasibility of a national MALE drone and led to the political decision to fund the TB2 as a mass-produced armed platform.