30 Saudi Naval AKINCI Training: Thirty members of the Royal Saudi Arabian Naval Forces have completed a training programme for Baykar’s Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicle in Türkiye.
The group included 15 pilots and 15 technicians. The technician group was trained in mechanical and electronic work linked to the drone. The trainees completed their courses at Baykar’s Çorlu Flight Training and Test Centre in Tekirdağ, northwestern Türkiye. Baykar announced their graduation on September 25, 2026.
The Çorlu centre is used for AKINCI flight operations, testing, maintenance and repairs. Baykar also provides both practical and classroom-based training to personnel who will work with its unmanned aircraft.
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For Saudi Arabia, the training is part of a wider defence deal with Türkiye that includes the supply of AKINCI drones and support for Saudi personnel.
AKINCI Deal Signed By Saudi Arabia And Baykar In 2023
Saudi Arabia and Baykar signed an export and cooperation agreement for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV on July 18, 2023.
Under the agreement, AKINCI drones are planned to join the inventories of both the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Baykar also agreed to provide training, technical support and logistics services as part of the deal.
The wider cooperation also included plans for technology transfer and joint production. Saudi authorities said the agreements were aimed at improving the country’s defence and manufacturing capabilities and helping localise parts of the unmanned aircraft industry.
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This means the latest training programme is not only about flying the drone. It also helps create Saudi personnel who can handle technical work around the system.
AKINCI Gets more Combat Capabilities
The AKINCI has continued to receive new weapons and systems as Baykar expands its capabilities. In September 2026, the UCAV carried out a test using the Roketsan SUNGUR air defence missile and hit a high-speed target drone.
Earlier in the month, another test saw AKINCI use the UAV-300 supersonic ballistic missile against a target more than 250 kilometres away.
