Pakistan Air Force completes training on Turkish Baykar Akinci attack drones.

According to Greek City Times, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has completed training on its Turkish-made Akinci drones. This indicates that the Pakistan Air Force’s plans to introduce the UAV are on schedule.

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Graduation ceremony of Baykar Akinci's new Turkish, Pakistani and Azerbaijani operators (Picture source: Aze Media via Baykar)

According to a statement released by the drone manufacturer Baykar on October 23, 110 pilots and staff members from three nations had completed the sixth term of the Akinçi training program, including Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Even though Baykar did not mention the number of grads from Pakistan, an analysis by Janes of photos from the graduation revealed the presence of 44 PAF officials, Greek City Times writes. Baykar stated that pilots, payload operators, mechanics and engine technicians, operators of electronic and ground control stations, and operators of weaponry were among the graduates.

In early August, a Pakistani online source named ‘Pakistan Defense Blog’ stated that the PAF troops were starting hands-on training on the Akinci drone in an undisclosed location in Turkey. The blog further mentioned that the drones would enter service with the PAF by 2023, and Islamabad was among several others that had signed contracts for the drone, Greek City Times reports.

Baykar was the first company to develop unmanned aerial vehicles about 20 years ago. Since then, it has earned 75% of its total revenue from exports. Baykar, which was registered as the export leader in the defense and aerospace sector by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly in 2021, earned 98 percent of its revenue from exports in 2022.

Bayraktar Akinci, which has been actively used operationally since the day it entered the Turkish security forces, has signed export contracts with four countries to date. Negotiations are ongoing with many parties interested in the attack drone. Studies on the integration of different munitions are continuing on the Akinci, which can use all Turkish-developed munitions.

Graduation ceremony of Baykar Akinci's new Turkish, Pakistani and Azerbaijani operators (Picture source: Aze Media via Baykar)