Croatia Signs Agreement to Acquire Bayraktar TB2 Drones from Turkey

Croatia has formalized the acquisition of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) from Turkey, following an agreement between Baykar and the Croatian Ministry of Defense.

The signing ceremony in Zagreb was attended by Croatia’s Minister of Defense Ivan Anusic and Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar.

The deal makes Croatia the latest NATO and European Union (EU) member to add the Bayraktar TB2 to its military inventory. This UCAV is already operational in six NATO and four EU countries, underlining its role in modern defense strategies.

The Turkish drone maker did not confirm the number of drones or contract value, but Turkish media reported the deal is worth around $91 million. The package reportedly includes a command and control center, a training simulator, ground monitoring and control stations, data stations, and an initial set of spare parts for 4,000 flight hours. It also covers all necessary equipment and maintenance tools, a two-year warranty or until 4,000 flight hours are reached, expert support in Croatia for two years, training in Turkey, and the transport of the entire package to Croatia.

First introduced into the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory in 2014, the Bayraktar TB2 is recognized for its 93% localization rate and has accumulated over 950,000 flight hours globally as of September 2024. The drone has been utilized in military operations, counter-terrorism, and civil missions, such as disaster response and wildfire management.

The Bayraktar TB2 has also set significant records, including a 27-hour continuous flight under extreme conditions in 2019 and a world-first autonomous barrel roll maneuver in 2024.