The United Arab Emirates is negotiating the purchase of 120 Bayraktar TB2 drones with Turkish manufacturer Baykar, Middle East Eye revealed , citing sources.

Baykar and the UAE arms procurement agency Tawazun have been negotiating the approximately $2 billion deal since March, the outlet added.

The deal includes ammunition, command and control centers, and training. Some of the drone components could be manufactured at Baykar’s UAE plant.

According to Middle East Eye, a $5 million Bayraktar comes with 100 MAM-L laser-guided munitions priced around $10 million. The cost of training and control and command centers, which controls six drones, is additional.

The TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled and autonomous operation. The multi-role platform can perform intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.

Demand for the UAV has been growing worldwide since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020. 

The drone has been acknowledged as pivotal in the war, particularly in knocking out Armenian air defenses.

Similarly, in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the drone has been credited with destroying Russian helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery.

Following these successes , countries such as Bangladesh, Romania, and Serbia have announced plans to buy the drone, while Poland and Morocco signed contracts to purchase the platform last year. 

Citing Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, the outlet wrote that the company has a three-year backlog of orders and the capacity to produce 20 drones per month.

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