Turkish UAVs find buyers in Africa

ANKARA

Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have made inroads into Africa, with solutions developed in Türkiye from UAV technologies undertaking new missions abroad.

Turkish drone company Zyrone Dynamics, renowned for its expertise in rotary-wing and variable-volume UAVs, has added a significant milestone to its export achievements. The company recently exported its ZD100 and ZD200 rotary-wing UAVs to an African country, where they will play a critical role in missions such as disaster search and rescue operations and the delivery of cargo to vital locations.

Both the ZD100 and ZD200 models are distinguished by their advanced technical capabilities and versatile applications.

The ZD100 sets itself apart from competitors with an impressive flight time of 80 minutes, a payload capacity of 3 kilograms (6.61 pounds), and a top speed of 130 kilometers (80.7 miles) per hour.

Designed for ease of use and compactness, it excels in challenging environments thanks to its monocoque carbon body, which ensures durability and resilience in harsh weather conditions.

The ZD100 is particularly valued for its high performance and adaptability across diverse terrains and operational needs.

The ZD200, designed for more demanding missions, boasts a maximum payload capacity of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) and can achieve a flight range of over 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) when carrying a 10-kilogram (22-pound) payload. Its modular design supports the integration of specialized equipment such as thermal cameras, LIDAR sensors and environmental monitoring tools, making it suitable for tasks ranging from critical infrastructure inspections to coastline mapping and mine surveillance.

Built with a durable carbon frame, the ZD200 can withstand wind speeds of up to 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) per hour, ensuring reliable performance in harsh conditions.

- Confident steps in global market

Murat Kanber, co-founder of Zyrone Dynamics, shared insights with Anadolu about the growing global interest in UAV technology.

He highlighted the widespread adoption of UAVs across various fields and emphasized the increasing demand from both domestic and international markets for Zyrone’s innovative air vehicles.

“We are proud to export our ZD100 and ZD200 UAV models to Africa, following our earlier ZD100 technology exports to India,” Kanber said. “Our UAVs are successfully deployed in critical missions such as post-disaster search and rescue, medical aid delivery, and essential cargo transportation.”

Kanber underscored how these exports demonstrate Zyrone Dynamics’ global technological capabilities and reaffirm the company’s commitment to supporting humanitarian aid efforts.

He also highlighted the ZD200’s flexible and advanced integration features, which open new possibilities in diverse sectors, from natural resource protection to critical infrastructure monitoring.

“Our experience operating in varied geographies has been instrumental in developing more efficient and safer UAVs,” he said. “We aim to meet users’ evolving needs with enhanced performance and capabilities. As we continue to succeed in this mission, we’ve observed a steady rise in foreign demand.”

Kanber revealed that the company is actively engaged in negotiations with other regions while continuing to deliver on existing international requests.

“We are confident that our products rank among the best in their class globally,” he said. “With this confidence, we are taking bold strides toward becoming a leading and trusted solution provider in the global UAV market.”

*Writing by Efe Ozkan