Turkish expert: global drone production relies on Ukraine’s experience

This was stated by Turkish military expert and observer Yusuf Akbaba in a comment to Ukrinform.

“I believe that we are entering the second phase of development of kamikaze and FPV drones. Initially, they were used separately, but now the hybridization of these systems and their integration with other systems has begun,” Akbaba said.

According to him, Turkey first applied the concept of drone fleets with electronic warfare support during Operation Spring Shield against Syrian government forces in 2020, neutralizing more than 1,500 targets. 

“Later, we saw this concept again in Libya and Karabakh, and it proved to be a complete success. Although Turkey focused on tactical-class unmanned aerial vehicles, it saw the first signs of the impact of kamikaze drones during the war in Karabakh,” Akbaba explained.

The Turkish expert noted that the Ukrainian army began to use FPV and kamikaze drones with unprecedented intensity and tactics in its confrontation with the invaders. 

"Based on the lessons learned on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Turkish army quickly added FPV drones and kamikaze drones to its arsenal. The Turkish defense industry, working closely with Ukraine, has begun work on new FPV drone systems, inexpensive kamikaze drones, including for air defense, and is already presenting new products," Akbaba said.

According to him, the trend toward the use of unmanned combat systems has grown significantly worldwide thanks to the development of artificial intelligence and sensor technologies. However, he believes that in the near future, drones and robots will not replace humans on the battlefield.

“This debate will continue for a long time. When we look at the battlefield of the future, the scenario in which unmanned systems work in coordination with manned systems, and control remains in human hands, is more realistic,” the expert believes.

As reported by Ukrinform, in early November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that by the end of the month, Ukraine would be producing 600-800 interceptor drones per day. 

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