I expect the AI-25TLT and AI-322F to be produced in house, and the rights to the MS-500 to also be bought.
Turkey Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter Jeff Head
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What's so funny @CasualObserver ?
Considering the problems Turkish companies have had with Ukraine, do you really think they would produce Ukr engines? Every reliable insider we know says that they palled on every Turkish company that does business with them. Baykar was willing to use and licence Ivchenko Progress engines but they didn't want to set up a line in Turkey, and it's not like their products are impressive either.
Turkey tried to build a win-win relationship with Ukr like they do with many other customers but Ukranians have been hugely overestimating their relative position compared to others, and in this case to Turkey. Afterwards the war happened and they lost most of their capabilities, including the few human capital they had left.
Moreover, in the quote he doesn't mention the JV. He says that they are going to DEVELOP the engines, this makes sense, considering Baykar's ambitions. We've had similar reports for a long time.
He's not even mentioning the TF6000/10000 that is developed by TEI, he's talking about internally developing a whole new ecosystem of products within 5 years. You wouldn't need 5 years for setting up a production line, you would need it for actually developing a product; and this only makes sense since we know that they have an iterative development policy. Otherwise it would take considerably longer than that.
Again, they had this ambition for a long time, they even develop and produce their own gimbals instead of outsourcing this to numerous smaller companies.
It is innately hard to follow a topic when you constantly need to use translation; I know that feeling so I'm not laughing at you, I just find what you're saying unlikely.
That would be even more amazing as I've alluded to that in post #3834
Well I tried to buy the edition of the magazine but can't because I don't reside in Turkiye/don't have the Turkish nationality or whatever reason there might be.
Would love to buy everything from the online stores of Aselsan, TAI and TB Sage but alas I can't...
I am hugely disappointed with the Turkish defence media and enthusiasts. We have the CEO of Baykar saying in an interview that they are going to invest hundreds of millions of $$$ into wanting to produce turbine engines for their drones and no one is has actually taken the effort to buy the damn article and give us a summary.
Meanwhile I have to rely on just 1 anon tweeter that has been kind enough to give us a short summary of the article and posted 2 small screenshots of said interview online...
It's that I can't buy the article for reasons said in #4344, otherwise I would've done it...
Meanwhile I have to rely on just 1 anon tweeter that has been kind enough to give us a short summary of the article and posted 2 small screenshots of said interview online...
It's that I can't buy the article for reasons said in #4344, otherwise I would've done it...
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Well, I got access to the article. I'll add a summary below:
- Baykar currently has 4500 employees with an average age of 29 years.
- Last year they invested $250 million in R&D, with the most going to AI R&D.
- Baykar allocated $1 billion for the development of Kizilelma.
- They plan to invest at least $1.5 billion in the next 5 years.
- Production rate of TB2 is 250 per year.
- Start of mass production of TB3 in this year with at least 20 build. Increase to at least 50 build next year.
- They build 12 Akinci last year and this year they plan to build 50.
- Plan to produce at least 12 Kizilelma this year, increase it exponentially (24?) in '25 and produce 48 in '26.
- They really want to produce engines on their own. The share of the TB2 engine was not even 1 % of the total added value so it wasn't necessary. They now developed the BM100 for the TB2. TB2 flies currently 250.000 hours a year which necessitates a need for 200 spare engines per year. They plan to build 20 of these engines this year. After that they'll start mass production.
- They want to produce the engines for the Akinci and Kizilelma in 2 years and 4 years respectively in Turkiye. They started investing in this since last year. In total they plan to invest $300 million for engines in 5 years (of which 1 year has passed).
- They'll continue specializing and investing in drones, satellites and AI.
- Baykar currently has 4500 employees with an average age of 29 years.
- Last year they invested $250 million in R&D, with the most going to AI R&D.
- Baykar allocated $1 billion for the development of Kizilelma.
- They plan to invest at least $1.5 billion in the next 5 years.
- Production rate of TB2 is 250 per year.
- Start of mass production of TB3 in this year with at least 20 build. Increase to at least 50 build next year.
- They build 12 Akinci last year and this year they plan to build 50.
- Plan to produce at least 12 Kizilelma this year, increase it exponentially (24?) in '25 and produce 48 in '26.
- They really want to produce engines on their own. The share of the TB2 engine was not even 1 % of the total added value so it wasn't necessary. They now developed the BM100 for the TB2. TB2 flies currently 250.000 hours a year which necessitates a need for 200 spare engines per year. They plan to build 20 of these engines this year. After that they'll start mass production.
- They want to produce the engines for the Akinci and Kizilelma in 2 years and 4 years respectively in Turkiye. They started investing in this since last year. In total they plan to invest $300 million for engines in 5 years (of which 1 year has passed).
- They'll continue specializing and investing in drones, satellites and AI.
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Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA successfully conducted a new firing test of the İHA-230 Supersonic Ballistic Missile developed by Roketsan.
But, this İHA-230 is different from others. The rear winglet count of the İHA-230 has been increased. Additionally, the front canards have been sharpened. As a result, there has been a significant increase in missile stabilization.
The operational range of the İHA-230 Missile is 150+ kilometers, depending on the speed and altitude at which the missile is launched.
But, this İHA-230 is different from others. The rear winglet count of the İHA-230 has been increased. Additionally, the front canards have been sharpened. As a result, there has been a significant increase in missile stabilization.
The operational range of the İHA-230 Missile is 150+ kilometers, depending on the speed and altitude at which the missile is launched.
The article contains no word of TEI or Ukraine or BlackSeaShield JV...
I don't think P&W is willing to let Baykar produce the PT6 and the AI-450 looks to be too weak for the Akinci-B and -C. I guess the MS-500 is to be produced.
Besides the need for AI-25TLT, AI-322F looks to be produced too.
I don't think one can develop 1 turboprop and 1 afterburning turbofan engine for $300 million. IMO the $300 million investment is enough to cover setting up the engine production facility, equip it with machines, train technicians, testing facilities and such. Perhaps a complete transfer of IP rights of the MS500 is a possibility.
Keep in mind, they singed an agreement to supply 500 engines for $600 million from 2021 to 2030:
