Türkiye has become the world's largest supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) owing to its recent successful performance and a steady diffusion of drone technology in recent decades, according to a report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).
The Center for a New American Security is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that provides research and analysis on national security and foreign policy debate in Washington and beyond.
Earlier this month, it published a report that covers global transfers of military-grade aerial drones, regardless of size and capability, covering between 1995 and Sept. 1, 2023.
The report said that the last decade has witnessed a tremendous surge in military drone sales.
According to the report prepared by Molly Campbell, the days of Israeli and American domination of the drone market "are long gone" with the development and emergence of low-cost military drones by China, Türkiye and Iran.
Türkiye accounted for 65% of the sales since 2018, the report said, citing that China, Türkiye and the U.S. have made a combined total of 69 sales of armed military drones to 40 different nations in this period.
"The entrance of China and Türkiye into the military drone marketplace has dramatically increased the number of global armed drone transfers," it said.
"Since 2018, China, Türkiye and the U.S. have made a combined total of 69 sales of armed military drones to 40 different nations. Türkiye made 65% of the sales, and China accounted for another 26%, while the U.S. only provided 8%," it added.
Furthermore, the author is said to have identified 633 drone transfers between 1995 and 2023, of which roughly 40% went to the European theater. The term “transfers” refers to completed and ongoing foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, leases, gifts and secondary proliferation.
According to the report, Türkiye has made significant strides in the market in the last couple of years, and the success of UCAVs, such as the famed Bayraktar TB2, has propelled Türkiye to the top of this field.
"In 2022, six new countries acquired military drones, all of which were armed Bayraktar TB2 drones from Türkiye," the report said.
Moreover, it noted that Chinese drone sales peaked in 2014, adding that by 2021, Türkiye had overtaken China as the globe’s largest supplier.
According to the report, the successful performance of Turkish UAVs and UCAVs on the battlefields in Libya, Karabakh and Ukraine, along with the positive media coverage of this performance, has propelled Turkish UAVs and UCAVs to the top.
At the same time, the report also cited growing transfers to the African continent, especially since 2020, a significant number of which were armed Bayraktar TB2s.
Described by experts as a UAV that has transformed the nature of the battlefield, Bayraktar TB2 is favored not only by countries in Asia and Africa but also by NATO and EU member states. As of September 2024, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs are serving in the inventories of six NATO member states and four EU member countries, continuing to perform successfully.
Since the start of its R&D process in the early 2000s, Baykar, the company behind the TB2 drones has generated 83% of its total revenue from exports.
Last year, it achieved $1.8 billion in exports, placing it among the top 10 exporters in all sectors in Türkiye.
