Bayraktar KEMANKEŞ 2: A New Innovation by Turkish Engineer Selçuk Bayraktar Takes Off from a Speeding Ca
Selçuk Bayraktar, the prominent Turkish engineer and owner of Baykar, a leading company in the defense and technology sector, recently tweeted on his official X account unveiling a new milestone in his company’s journey: a sophisticated drone capable of carrying small missiles and equipped with artificial intelligence technologies. What caught attention was not only the drone’s features but also its launch method—taking off from the roof of a speeding car instead of a traditional platform.
This innovative demonstration sparked widespread global reactions, garnering over 130,000 views and more than 2,000 retweets, with many users posing direct questions about the new drone.
However, the surprise is that this drone is not entirely new. Bayraktar clarified that the announcement marked the completion of the final tests of the drone named “Bayraktar KEMANKEŞ 2,” one of the latest weapons in Baykar’s arsenal, further solidifying Bayraktar’s reputation as the “Turkish Tony Stark”—a nod to the Iron Man hero who inherited his father’s company and transformed it into a cutting-edge defense technology powerhouse.
Who is Selçuk Bayraktar?
Born in 1979 in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district, Selçuk Bayraktar hails from a family originating from Turkey’s Trabzon province. His father, Özdemir Bayraktar, founded Baykar in 1984, which later became a cornerstone of Turkey’s defense technology industry.
Selçuk graduated from Robert College in 1997, then pursued graduate studies at Istanbul Technical University, before earning a master’s degree in 2004 from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing his research on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
He leveraged his academic background to transform the family business into a technological leader specializing in armed drones and smart vehicles, integrating artificial intelligence into guidance and targeting systems, making Baykar a key player in both Turkish and international defense sectors.
What is the Bayraktar KEMANKEŞ 2?
The Bayraktar KEMANKEŞ 2 is one of Baykar’s flagship innovations — a small-sized drone designed specifically for tactical high-precision missions. The drone features an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of data analysis, target identification, tracking, and destruction without human intervention.
According to the company’s official statement, the KEMANKEŞ 2 boasts impressive technical specifications:
- A range of up to 200 kilometers
- Flight altitude exceeding 8,000 meters
- Speed reaching 0.6 Mach
- Payload capacity of 20 kilograms
- Total weight of 70 kilograms
This drone is engineered to meet the Turkish military’s needs for intelligent reconnaissance and precision strike operations, representing a major leap in tactical UAV development with the ability to launch from any mobile platform, including moving vehicles, providing unprecedented operational flexibility.
Selçuk Bayraktar continues to lead Turkish defense innovation through Baykar, demonstrating that the future of modern warfare is being shaped by the fusion of artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, and operational versatility—combining power, technology, and flexibility in one package.
