Turkish leading defense firm, Baykar, has completed the first firing test of the KEMANKES 2 Mini Intelligent Cruise Missile, developed indigenously and originally, at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Kesan, Edirne. The mini intelligent cruise missile has an endurance of about an hour, and can rapidly target the most critical enemy positions behind lines thanks to its jet engine. With an operational range of over 200 kilometers, the KEMANKES 2, equipped with an AI-supported optical guidance system, has the ability to accurately destroy targets even under challenging weather conditions. With its AI-supported autopilot system, the KEMANKES 2 can autonomously fly and neutralize strategic targets with high precision, altering the dynamics on the battlefield.
Usable under both night and day conditions, the KEMANKES 2 features anti-jamming technology allowing it to operate without disruption from electronic interference. It will also provide data tracking support to the operator by transmitting all acquired data and images to the ground control station. The first version of the mini intelligent cruise missile, KEMANKES 1, developed indigenously and originally by Baykar for targeting strategic objectives, was publicly displayed for the first time at TEKNOFEST 2023 held at Atatürk Airport from April 27 to May 1. Its first firing test was successfully completed on June 14, 2023, fired from a Bayraktar TB2 UAV.
Baykar is a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence. Baykar is a portmanteau of the words Bayraktar Karde?ler (Bayraktar Brothers). The company presently operates under the names “Baykar Teknoloji” (Baykar Technology) and “Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.” (Baykar Machine Industry and Trade Inc.). The company was founded in 1984 as Baykar Makina, a CNC precision machining supplier subcontractor by Özdemir Bayraktar, with the primary goals being production of automotive parts such as engines, pumps and spare parts to ensure the localization of the automotive industry. The company has been led by Özdemir Bayraktar until his death and his sons – Selçuk and Haluk.
Baykar obtained 83% of its total revenue from exports since the beginning of the UAV R&D process in 2003. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s (TIM) 2021 and 2022 data, Baykar became the top exporter in the defense and aerospace sector. The Defense Industry Agency announced that Baykar was the top exporter within the sector in 2023 with $1.8 billion. Baykar, which generated more than 90% of its revenue from exports in recent years, conducted a third of the sector’s exports alone in 2023. Baykar, the world’s leading UAV exporter, has 97.5% of its current contracts from exports. Export agreements have been signed with a total of 34 countries –including 33 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV and 9 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.
