The Romanian Ministry of National Defence has signed a contract with Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar for Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). The value of the contract is USD 321 million. The contract follows the announcement of the Romanian Ministry of National Defence in August last year, they requested the purchase approval of 3 Bayraktar TB2 systems consisting of 6 drones each (18 in total). The purchased drones are intended to be delivered to the former 93rd Air Base.. The total cost is estimated to be around $300 million including the support package.
“The UAS systems to be purchased will be intended for the Romanian Land Forces. Each system includes six aerial platforms with target engagement capabilities (a total of 18 drones). The program also involves the purchase of an initial logistical support package, necessary training and equipment,” the Romanian ministry said in a statement in August last year.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.?., primarily for the Turkish Armed Forces. The aircraft are monitored and controlled by an aircrew in a ground control station, including weapons employment. The development of the UAV has been largely credited to Selçuk Bayraktar, a former MIT graduate student.
The largest operator of TB2 drones is the Turkish military, but an export model has been sold to the militaries of a number of other countries. Turkey has used the drone extensively in strikes on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and People’s Protection Units (YPG) targets in Iraq and Syria. Bayraktar drones were later deployed by a number of other nations around the world in various wars, such as by Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as by the Ethiopian National Defense Force during the Tigray War.