VIDEO: Croatia begins testing Bayraktar TB2 drones across the country
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo: MORH/ J. Kopi)
ZAGREB, 12 August 2025 (Hina) – Testing of the newly acquired Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial systems for the Croatian Armed Forces began on Monday at the “Colonel Marko Živković” barracks in Velika Gorica, the Ministry of Defence (MORH) announced.
The trials will run throughout the week, both during the day and at night, across Croatian airspace in accordance with national aviation regulations.
The testing is being carried out jointly by representatives of Baykar, the Turkish manufacturer, and Croatian Armed Forces personnel who recently completed specialised training in Türkiye.
The training, held at Baykar’s Training Centre, prepared Croatian pilots, operators and technicians to operate and maintain the advanced systems.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Kopi)
All six Bayraktar TB2 units will be tested. The first drone, delivered at the end of July, was already showcased to the public during the recent military parade.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a modern armed drone with proven versatility. In addition to combat missions, it can be used for border surveillance, wildfire monitoring, reconnaissance and other security tasks. The system is already in service in 37 countries, including several NATO members.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Kopi)
Croatia signed the €67.01 million procurement agreement (excluding VAT) with Baykar on 21 November 2024. The contract was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić and Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar.
The package includes six armed drones, a command and control centre, a training simulator, ground control and data stations, an initial set of spare parts with maintenance tools, associated munitions, a two-year warranty, the presence of Baykar technical experts in Croatia for two years, training in Türkiye and full transport of the equipment to Croatia.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Kopi)
The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament unanimously supported the purchase on 25 September 2024.
According to the agreement, all equipment and services were to be delivered within nine months of signing, with the entire system operational by the end of September 2025. MORH noted that the project is progressing ahead of schedule.
