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Rachel Strohm @rachelstrohm.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Interesting insights on the expansion of drone warfare in Africa and the key role of Türkiye as a supplier africanarguments.org/2026/09/turk...

What makes drones a unique tool of warfare is that their low cost and ease of manufacture make them accessible to poorer nations as part of their military arsenals and more broadly to meet their needs for the modernization and development of their military industries. Türkiye has emerged as one of the leading countries in the international landscape of drone technology. The country has a history of drone manufacturing dating back to the 1990s through the drone trial using the UAV-X1 projects at the time. The technical breakthrough happened in the 2010s. An example is the Bayraktar TB2 drone system (three drones plus a ground unit) that was widely used in the war in Ukraine and which made its maiden flight in 2014.

An interesting topic of analysis is Türkiye’s role in transforming the military industries of African nations and in lowering the cost of air superiority. That enabled African states to have strike capabilities without relying on expensive fighter jets deals. This contributes to changing both internal power dynamics and regional conflicts in ways that no one yet fully understands. A three-drone system has provided Africa nations with a strike capability they could never previously afford. It costs the same price as a single used fighter jet. Africa is the first continent where this development can be seen most widely.