Turkish Coast Guard Command operates six Bayraktar TB2 UAS
The President of the Turkish Defence Industry Agency (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı - SSB), Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir, revealed that the Türk Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı (Turkish Coast Guard Command) is now operating six Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
These Bayraktars are most likely non-armed TB2 versions and are fitted with the indigenously developed CATS (Common Aperture Targeting System) Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) camera produced by ASELSAN.
The Coast Guard Command is the latest internal operator of the very successful Bayraktar TB2 UAS. They are also operated by the Türk Kara Havacılık Komutanlığı (Turkish Land Forces Command), the Türk Deniz Hava Komutanlığı (Turkish Naval Forces Command), the Türk Jandarma Havacılık Başkanlığı (Gendarmerie General Command), the Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü - Havacılık Daire Başkanlığı (General Directorate of Security), the Orman Genel Müdürlüğü Havacılık (Turkish General Directorate of Forestry - OGM) and the Millî İstihbarat Teşkilâtı (National Intelligence Organization - MIT).
The newly delivered Bayraktars are operated by Ege İHA Filo Komutanlığı (Mediterranean UAV Squadron Command) which is most likely headquartered at İzmir/Adnan Menderes, but also seem to have some facilities at nearby Aydın/Çıldır.
More than 300 Bayraktar TB2s have been produced so far, of which a large number has been exported to approximately 30 countries.
Photo: Turkish MoD
Source: @SavunmaSanayiST, https://www.savunmasanayist.com