UAE tech group EDGE will integrate its precision-guided munition into Turkey’s unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
The group has signed a deal with Baykar to equip its Bayraktar TB2 drones with Desert Sting 16 GPS- and laser-guided bombs.
Baykar chairman and chief technology officer Selcuk Bayraktar stated that the agreement is part of the company’s goal of boosting its unmanned vehicles’ payload offerings.
“Our strategic alliance agreement with EDGE, an international leader in advanced technology, will provide further options to our client base,” he added.
A video posted by EDGE appears to show a TB2 UCAV equipped with the bomb.
EDGE plans to fully incorporate the TB2 fleet with the weapon by the end of 2024, allowing the drones to utilize them for future ground-attack missions.
An Accurate Capability
The Desert Sting 16 utilizes global navigation satellite systems and a semi-active laser configuration to ensure that it hits its targets as far as 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away.
It has a 12-kilogram (26.5 pounds) warhead, with a gross weight of 23 kilos (51 pounds).
A different variant, Desert Sting 25, was purchased by the UAE last year as part of a 4.7-billion dirham ($1.3 billion) weapons deal with EDGE.
Baykar’s Multi-Role Drone
The Bayraktar TB2 is a tactical UCAV capable of 27 hours of flight time at a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet (4.7 miles/7.6 kilometers).
It can communicate with unified control stations and terminals as far as 300 kilometers (186 miles) away, mapping its route based on non-delay, real-time image transmissions for improved situational awareness.
