By Azernews

Turkey’s Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicles have landed in Azerbaijan for TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival scheduled for May 26-29 in Baku, Azernews reports, citing the Baykar Company.

As the company said, two Akinci drones took off from northern Tekirdag's Corlu region on Saturday, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, and flew to Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku from Turkey via the Georgia airspace.

The UCAVs covered over 2,000 kilometers distance for five hours, passing through three countries, the first such a trip in Turkish aviation history.

Akinci will meet aerospace and tech enthusiasts in Baku from May 26 to 29, with other cutting-edge military and technology equipment manufactured by Turkish enterprises.

Since its debut in 2018, TEKNOFEST has been Turkey's gathering place for all aerospace and technology stakeholders, as well as for corporations and students. The event will host a variety of events, including warplane, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and helicopter air displays, as well as conferences, summits, competitions, and fairs.

Many more pioneers, like Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, STM, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and its engine manufacturing subsidiary, TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI), will be showing their vehicles and equipment at the event, in addition to drone magnate and Akinci inventor Baykar.

Akinci, the country's most advanced and sophisticated drone, was initially deployed to Turkish security services in late August of 2021, following the Bayraktar TB2 UAV, which has been widely utilized in countries such as Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Qatar, and Poland.

Akinci is a strategic weapon that is longer and broader than the Bayraktar TB2. With its distinctive twisted-wing construction, it has a 20-meter (65-foot) wingspan and is fitted with completely autonomous flight control and a triple-redundant autopilot system.

It may carry a variety of weapons, including Smart Micro Munitions (MAM-L) missiles manufactured by notable Turkish contractor Roketsan.

According to Baykar, the Akinci can strike targets both in the air and on the ground, as well as fly higher and remain in the air longer than Turkey's current drones.

Two nations have signed export agreements with Baykar for purchasing the Akinci. According to the corporation, deliveries will begin in 2023 and will be delivered on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Turkish fighter jets performed aerobatics over Baku on May 23 in preparation for the TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan festival.

The country will host the TEKNOFEST International Aviation, Space, and Technology Festival from May 26 to 29.

The event will feature air shows, demonstration flights by Azerbaijani Air Forces Su-25 attack aircraft, and MiG-29 multi-role fighter aircraft, as well as Turkish Stars F-5 fighter planes and Solo Turk F-16 aerobatic demonstration teams, Hurkush Fighter trainer aircraft, and ATAK helicopters.

The festival is organized by the Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Ministry. At the same time, the TEKNOFEST production office operates in Baku, of which full staff consists of Azerbaijani specialists.

The event has been organized yearly since 2018, with the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, which is controlled by the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry and Baykar Makina's technical director in cooperation with around 60 Turkish state institutions, universities, and private firms.

The festival's goal is to popularize areas like aviation, space industry, and the digital economy, encourage entrepreneurship in these fields, identify the knowledge and skills of young engineers through competitions held within the festival's framework, and present national technologies to the general public.

Trend News Agency, Day.Az, Milli.Az, Azernews, Eastweststream, Today.Az and Turkic.World are official media partners of TEKNOFEST.