Turkey delivers six Bayraktar TB2 drones to Niger

A Bayraktar TB2 drone (Block B).

© Bayhaluk/wikimedia.org

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Niger received Turkish drones last weekend.

Six Bayraktar TB2 were delivered to Niamey airport.

This is the first part of an arms contract signed in November which also provides for the purchase by Niger of light planes and armored vehicles.

With this purchase, the country's air capabilities have gone up a notch, and Niamey is taking the opportunity to diversify its partners in the defense sector.

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Turkish drones have a range of 150 kilometers, a range of 20 hours and can be armed… A very useful tool for the fight against terrorism.

"

These drones complement Niger's surveillance capabilities, explains a French security source in the region, but we now need to put in place the entire system that will allow their use

".

Understand here: training of pilots and image analysis agents, maintenance of devices, spare parts supply chain, etc.

According to a Nigerian security source, the development of an air base to accommodate these drones is already under study.

With this purchase, Niger is above all diversifying its partners in the fight against terrorism

,” explains Pieter Wezeman, of the Stockholm Institute for Peace Research.

President Mohamed Bazoum thus relies on solidarity between Muslim states, while he is sometimes criticized for his unfailing alliance with France.

A diversification approved by Moussa Tchangari, secretary general of Alternative Citizen Space.

Niger is thus demonstrating its autonomy.

 However, he is concerned that the Nigerien government is favoring a military solution to a problem that requires a global approach.

As there is no pilot on board, there is no risk of losing a soldier.

In addition, these drones have a very long flight capacity… so for a country the size of Niger, where armed groups can hide in the wild for a long time, it is a very useful tool.

Those supplied to Niger can be armed.

Turkey successfully sells them all over the world.

Pieter Wezeman, researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Gaelle Laleix

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  • Niger