Prabowo Checks Turkey's Mirawak Fighter Plane In Bayraktar Istanbul

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto checked Baykar's unmanned combat technology at the Bayraktar National Technology Center, Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday (31/7/2024). ANTARA/HO-Biro Public Relations Secretariat General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) and President-elect Prabowo Subianto took advantage of his transit time in Istanbul, Turkey, to visit the Bayraktar National Technology Center and see several Turkish Baykar-made unmanned fighter aircraft.

Prabowo flew from Moscow, Russia, Wednesday (31/7) local time and landed on the same day in Istanbul for a few hours transit before continuing his trip to the country.

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General TNI Edwin Adrian Sumantha explained that Prabowo's working visit to Baykar's technology center showed the commitment of the Indonesian government to strengthen Indonesia's defense as well as the domestic defense industry.

"This short visit is expected to open up opportunities for further cooperation between the Indonesian and Turkish defense industries," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, August 1.

In Baykar's official broadcast, private companies in Turkey engaged in modern defense and security technology such as dronempur (UCAV), unmanned technology (UAV), and artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems.

At the Bayraktar National Technology Center, Prabowo was invited to tour to see a number of attacks made by Baykar. Prabowo also had a brief meeting and discussion with Baykar CEO Hayluk Bayraktar.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Achmad Rizal Purnama, who accompanied Prabowo during the visit, believes that further cooperation between Indonesia's defense and Baykar in the future can support the modernization of the Indonesian defense system, which also contributes positively to security in the region.

At the end of his visit, Prabowo received souvenirs from Baykar in the form of a miniature drone on the Bayraktar Kryptazaturlelma.

The Ministry of Defense is believed to be eyeing Turkey's attacking drone, namely Anka made by Turkish Aerospace Industries and Bayraktar made by Baykar.

On several occasions a press conference with the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (KSAL) Admiral Muhammad Ali and the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force (KSAU) Marshal TNI Tonny Harjono, both of them gave a signal that it was possible for the Indonesian government to buy the attack drone.

Apart from that, so far the Indonesian Ministry of Defense has only signed a purchase cooperation of 12 Anka units with Turkish Aerospace Industries on February 3, 2023. The collaboration includes the purchase of 12 ANKA units accompanied by several training programs, technology transfer, and support for integrated logistics support (ILS), background support & test equipment (GS&TE), flight simulators, hangar infrastructure, and a warranty period of 24 months/600 flight hours.

However, the purchase contract has not been effective, or is still waiting for activation from the Ministry of Finance.