At the “Colonel Marko Živković” barracks in Velika Gorica, testing of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial systems, new assets of the Croatian Armed Forces and their complete equipment, began today. The testing will be carried out over the next week, both day and night, throughout Croatia in accordance with the applicable regulations on the use of the airspace of the Republic of Croatia.
The tests are being conducted by representatives of Baykar, the manufacturer of the Bayraktar TB2 system, together with members of the Croatian Armed Forces who completed their training in the Republic of Türkiye.
Training for members of the Croatian Armed Forces was conducted at Baykar’s training center in Türkiye, where Croatian pilots, system operators, and technicians acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to operate these advanced military systems.
Testing will involve all six Bayraktar TB2 systems, with the first unmanned aerial system — which arrived in Croatia at the end of July — already presented to the public at a recent military parade.
These six modern armed drones, in addition to their combat role, can be effectively used for border surveillance, wildfire monitoring, reconnaissance, and similar tasks. The systems are in use in 37 countries worldwide, including several NATO member states.
The contract for the procurement of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial system, worth €67.01 million excluding VAT, was signed on 21 November 2024 at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia. It was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić and Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of the Turkish company Baykar Makina San. Ve Tic. A.Ş.
In addition to six armed unmanned aircraft, the package includes a command and control center, a training simulator, ground control stations, ground data terminals, an initial set of spare parts including all necessary equipment and tools for user-level maintenance, associated munitions, a two-year warranty, the presence of Baykar technical experts in Croatia for two years, training at Baykar’s training center in Türkiye, and transportation of the entire package to Croatia.
The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament unanimously supported the procurement of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial system in its opinion issued on 25 September 2024.
Under the contract and project plan, all goods and services were to be delivered within nine months of signing, with the entire system to be operational by the end of September 2025. Despite tight deadlines, the project is progressing ahead of schedule.
