Mali Received Bayraktar TB2 Combat Drones From Turkey (Video)

A Bayraktar TB2 combat drone. Source: Baykar.

Mali has become the latest country to acquire Bayraktar TB2 combat drones from Turkey in order to strengthen its military capabilities.

On December 22, the Malian state TV aired footage showing at least two newly-delivered Bayraktar TB2 drones and a mobile ground control station being presented to the minister of defense Sadio Camara at an air base in Mopti.

Bayraktar TB2 drones saw major success in the last few years during conflicts in Libya, Syria and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mali didn’t reveal any details about the drone deal with Turkey. Usually, a single Bayraktar TB2 goes for $5 million and each drone typically comes with 100 MAM-L\C precision-guided munitions, which together are worth $15 million. There is also an additional cost for training as well as the command-and-control centers.

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In West Africa, Mali is the fifth country to acquire Bayraktar TB2 combat drones from Turkish manufacturer Baykar after Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso.

Mali has been working to strengthen its military capabilities since the withdrawal of French troops from its territory and the end of Operation Barkhane. Besides Turkey, the country has been mainly cooperating with Russia, which supplied in September fighter jets and helicopters to help combat terrorist groups.

The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 will likely be able to track terrorists in Mali as effectively as the American-made MQ-9 Reaper combat drones the French military use. Nevertheless, the lack of proper communications and reliable intelligence could be problematic.

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