Türkiye's international success in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is diversified with the production of different types of drones, including civil ones, with the latest example being a deal secured by a firm from southern Mersin province, which will begin production of agricultural drones in the United States with financial backing from Japan.
Baibars Mechatronics Aviation (Baibars Mekatronik Havacılık), which operates in the development, production, system integration and life cycle support processes of civil rotary wing uncrewed aerial vehicles (drones), achieved export success in a short time, received international investment and is now preparing for production abroad, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported on Sunday.
Celal Çağlayan Erguvan, chairperson of the board of directors at Baibars Mechatronics Aviation, said in an interview with AA that the company, founded in 2015, began manufacturing rotary-wing UAVs with a focus on agricultural drones in early 2021.
Recalling the foundation of the company was laid in 2015 in Çukurova, Erguvan highlighted two key milestones in the company's progress: the support received from Türkiye Iş Bankası in 2021 and the foreign direct investment secured from Japan in the last quarter of 2023.
"These were milestones that increased our production capacity and localization rate and enabled us to open up abroad. We produce agricultural uncrewed aerial vehicles, industrial uncrewed aerial vehicles and tactical supply UAVs in rotary wing uncrewed aerial vehicles," he explained.
Moreover, he pointed out that they plan to produce agricultural uncrewed aerial vehicles in Detroit, Michigan, adding that they aim to start production in 2025 and that the facility is largely completed.
"There is significant demand in the U.S. for agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles," Erguvan said.
"The Midwest region, in particular, is ideal for field crops that benefit from this technology. These drones reduce input costs, support sustainable agriculture, lower carbon emissions, and allow for more efficient pesticide application using less water," he added.
"We aim to roll out products from the production line in March 2025," he noted.
Erguvan also suggested that the upper capacity limit in agricultural UAVs is 70 liters (18.49 gallons), and therefore, they will undertake developments aimed at increasing technological efficiency rather than capacity.
The new-generation agricultural drones to be produced in the U.S. are designed for enhanced productivity and cost-effectiveness. They will feature a 50-liter liquid tank and a 70-liter fertilizer tank capable of covering up to 220 acres per hour.
Thanks to its high-flow, centrifugal spraying system, it provides more efficient spraying with less agricultural pesticide. Again, with the Terrain Tracking System and Obstacle Detection System developed by Baibars, the drones, which can fly safely on all terrain, support their users with high maneuverability. The drones serve with high durability and superior protection against water and dust.
In addition, Erguvan also said they were working hard on the "Cesur" (brave in English) firefighting UAV in the industrial UAVs category.
"We believe it has a future and can save lives. We will continue to work on it. There are some components that we have not yet completed installing. We aim to install them. Our sole aim is to keep our localization rate above 70% for almost all products," he said.
"We want to benefit from Türkiye's geopolitical position both in terms of supply chain and in the changing (dynamics) in the world. We want to continue to export Turkish technology to all corners of the world," he noted.