Azerbaijan Reveals New Training Facility, Hangar for Akinci Combat Drone

Azerbaijan officially opened a training facility and hangar for its recently acquired Akinci combat drone on February 9.

The ceremony, attended by key figures including Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, his son Heydar Aliyev, and Baykar's Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar, featured a flight demonstration of the Akinci drone.

The training facility is dedicated to UAV operator training, while the hangar will function as a maintenance center for the advanced unmanned aerial vehicle.

Azerbaijan's acquisition of the Akinci drone was not publicly disclosed until the recent unveiling. In March 2022, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar mentioned during a news conference that three nations, including Azerbaijan, had expressed interest in purchasing the drone. The initial group of Azeri pilots completed their training for the Akinci in October 2022.

In April 2023, Baykar and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding for the in-country construction of Baykar drones. Prior to acquiring the Akinci, Azerbaijan utilized TB2 combat drones in the conflict against Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.