Kenya acquires Bayraktar TB2 drones

Kenya has acquired six Bayraktar TB2 attack drones from Turkey, the BAYKAR company.

Inside Africa reported that the drones will be delivered to the Kenyan National Intelligence Service.

This was an important step in strengthening the military potential of the African country.

Kenyan operators received special training in August at the Bayraktar Flight Training Center in Turkey.

The acquisition followed a defense cooperation agreement signed in 2023 between Turkey and Kenya, covering training, maintenance and technology transfer.

Bayraktar TB2 – a medium-altitude drone designed for reconnaissance, surveillance and precision strikes.

Kenya's use of these drones is consistent with its efforts to improve counterterrorism operations, as is the case with its neighbor Somalia.

African states are increasingly buying Turkish drones to combat armed groups after they have proven their effectiveness in various conflicts around the world.

It is the Bayraktar TB2 model that is in great demand after they have proven themselves in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.

In Africa, the Bayraktar TB2 is in service with: Libya, Morocco, Niger, Ethiopia, Mali.

Bayraktar TB2 is a relatively inexpensive drone in its class and therefore allows the customer to obtain a multi-purpose aerial platform for minimal financial resources.

The UAV is equipped with a modern optoelectronic station for conducting optical reconnaissance and is capable of performing strike functions. The drone can be armed with UMTAS anti-tank missiles, MAM-C, MAM-L, TUBITAK-SAGE TOGAN bombs and TUBITAK-SAGE BOZOK and Roketsan Cirit laser-guided missiles.