Mariusz Błaszczak presented the medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicles to soldiers at Poland’s 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Base in the northwestern town of Mirosławiec, state news agency PAP reported.
Bayraktar TB2 combat drones for the Polish army
The Polish defence minister, who is also a deputy prime minister, said at the ceremony: “There is no modern army without modern drones - in the case of the Bayraktars, drones that, on the one hand, will conduct reconnaissance missions, but on the other, are ready to carry out striking missions.”
Błaszczak added: "Today marks a major stage in the modernisation of the Polish armed forces. We are starting the process of equipping our soldiers with TB2 Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles."
He told reporters: “We are reconstituting military units and boosting the strength of the Polish army. The first Bayraktar TB2 drones are already at the 12th Base. The soldiers have undergone a training course in Turkey and are motivated to stand guard over Poland's security.”
Błaszczak added: “Further sets of these UAV systems will be systematically introduced to the Polish armed forces. We use all means to make Poland safe.”
The defence minister said that Bayraktar TB2 drones "performed excellently" on the battlefields of Ukraine, helping defend Poland's eastern neighbour against Russia's invasion.
He said: “The events in Ukraine prove that it is an effective weapon. In the hands of Ukrainians, it helps successfully defend Ukraine.”
Błaszczak also stated that the first set of Bayraktar TB2 drones delivered to the Polish army on Friday “will be combat-ready in a matter of days.”
24 Bayraktar TB2 drones for USD 270 mln
Poland ordered four batches of Bayraktar TB2 drones, 24 drones in total, from Turkish contractor Baykar in May 2021, officials said.
Under a contract worth USD 270 million, the UAVs are slated for delivery between 2022 and 2024, the PAP news agency reported.
Friday is day 247 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, businessinsider.com.pl