On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) received new high-performance aircraft, including Akinci combat drones manufactured by Turkish defense company Bayraktar. The FAMa’s latest military acquisitions were financed by the national budget. The Akinci is a more robust combat drone than its predecessor the TB2, which the FAMa also has in its arsenal, because it has a payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms compared with the TB2’s 150-kilogram payload capacity. The larger payload capacity allows the Akinci to carry a wide variety of munitions, including precision-guided missiles. The Akinci is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar and satellite communication system, which has multiple antennas that makes for more precise control and faster scanning, stealth and jamming resistance, 5G technology, and a detection, targeting, and tracking radar system. The flight endurance of the Akinci is 25 hours while its range is up to 7,500 kilometers. It can reach an altitude of 11 kilometers at a maximum speed of 400 kilometers per hour. Its high precision optronic balls allow it to operate during the day or night. On November 13, Bayraktar conducted a successful test of two IHA-230 supersonic surface-to-air ballistic missiles fired by an Akinci that struck targets 155 kilometers away. The long range of the missile allows it to engage targets without exposing the Akinci to air defense systems. According to Global Defense News, the 42-kilogram warhead on the IHA-230 missile is used against air defense systems, communication infrastructures, command and control centers, and lightly armored vehicles. As reported by TRT Afrika, Defense Minister General Sadio Camara, the newly acquired Akincis will help the FAMa improve territorial surveillance and neutralize the enemy. The Al Qaeda-linked JNIM, the Islamic State–Sahel Province, and the Tuareg separatists have been operating in Mali since 2015.
Sources:
Malian Army Receives New High-Performance Air Vectors
Sputnik Africa
Armament: This African country strengthens itself with new Turkish drones
Le Nouvelle Tribune
Mali Receives Turkish Akinci Drones to Fight Armed Groups
The Defense Post
Mali receives military equipment from Türkiye to fight terrorism
TRT Afrika
Turkish Bayraktar Akinci UAV completes first long-range strike test with IHA-230 supersonic missiles.
Global Defense News
