For di global market wey dey sell military drone, Türkiye don waka go front as di biggest supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and armed drones, according to wetin US-based Center for a New American Security (CNAS) tok.

Dis kain rise don push comot di former leaders like United States and Israel, and e don open new chapter for how drone dey spread for di world.

Di CNAS report wey dem release dis month tok say since 2018, Türkiye, China, and US don sell 69 armed drones to 40 countries. Türkiye alone sell 65 percent of di drones, China sell 26 percent, and US manage only 8 percent.

Experts dey tok say di reason why Turkish drones dey lead na because Ankara dey focus on di homegrown defence industry. Murat Aslan, wey be political science lecturer for Hasan Kalyoncu University, explain say Türkiye dey build advanced UAVs because dem wan solve di wahala of foreign technology restrictions wey dem face before.

Aslan tok say when UAVs first show, dem no too get level, na just to dey do surveillance and fire support. But now, dem don turn to better machine wey fit carry different payloads, and e don change di way war dey happen.

Di success of Turkish defence companies like Baykar, Roketsan, and Aselsan na wetin make Türkiye dey lead for di drone market. Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 don turn symbol of di country drone expertise, and dem don use am well for conflicts like di Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Apart from di TB2, Baykar get another drone wey dem call Akinci, wey be high-altitude UAV. Dis one don help Türkiye market di advanced drones well well.

But di journey no easy at all. Türkiye face plenty wahala to get di parts wey dem need, so dem decide to dey make di machines by demself. Aslan tok say for di 1990s, when Türkiye wan buy foreign UAVs like Israeli Heron, di restrictions too much, and dem even need Israeli people to operate di system.

Dis kain dependency and delay push Türkiye to start dia own UAV production programme. Roketsan and Aselsan, wey dey specialise for missile systems and advanced avionics, join hand with Baykar to make Türkiye leader for di high-tech drone market.

For 2022, six countries wey enter di drone market for di first time all buy Bayraktar TB2, wey cement Türkiye position as di oga for di market. Di Akinci drone, wey fit carry more load and get advanced sensors, dey also attract international interest.

One Baykar official tok say di decision wey Turkish government make for early 2000s to increase domestic production na wetin change di game. Dis decision make dem fit develop mini-drones, tactical drones, and attack drones wey di Turkish Armed Forces and law enforcement dey use today.

Di key step for di production na how dem take build local technical and production capacity. Aslan tok say even with di embargoes wey dem face, Türkiye manage diversify or produce di parts locally, and dis one help dem secure dia national security.

Di development of UAVs like ANKA, wey get unique design and capability, na major breakthrough for Türkiye defence industry. Since dem overtake China for 2021, Türkiye drone export don increase well well. Baykar alone don export 83 percent of dia production since early 2000s, and for 2022, dem record $1.8 billion for export.

Di CNAS study tok say di time wey US and Israel dey dominate di drone market don pass. Now, countries like Türkiye, China, and Iran dey provide cheaper and effective alternatives, and dis one don increase di global transfer of armed drones.

With Türkiye now as di top producer of military drones, di success of companies like Baykar, Roketsan, and Aselsan dey show how di global military power don dey shift. Affordable and advanced UAVs like Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci dey change di way war dey happen, and dem don put Türkiye for di center of dis defence sector.

Aslan tok say to produce armed UAV no be only about di platform, but also di munitions and control systems wey dey inside. Roketsan, Aselsan, and Havelsan all play big role to make sure say Türkiye no dey depend on foreign suppliers again.