Although days have passed since the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, its effects still continue. As of now, teams continue to work to help earthquake victims and rescue those under the rubble. Our national technology TİHA and SİHAs also took an active role in this disaster, where technology was frequently used for solution and observation. Finally, Baykar explained how much time Bayraktar AKINCI and TB2 took part in the earthquake.
On the first day of the earthquake, only Bayraktar AKINCI TİHAs were able to take off!
Immediately after the earthquake that took place in Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık and affected many of our cities, 2 units departed from Şanlıurfa and Batman. Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA, took off for mission flights. Bayraktar AKINCI TİHAs carried out non-stop mission flights for detection, search and rescue support and coordination activities in harsh weather conditions on the first day of the earthquake.
On Monday, February 6, 2023, the first day of the earthquake, planes and helicopters could not take off due to heavy weather opposition, storms, snowfall and heavy cloudiness that covered the whole region, while only Bayraktar AKINCI TİHAs took risks with the advantage of being unmanned.
The images reflected on AKINCI’s camera also revealed the meteorological dimensions of the disaster. While the harsh weather conditions over the earthquake area prevented the desired amount of images from being taken for the first day of the earthquake, Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA made flights that lasted for hours in difficult weather conditions in order to evaluate even the smallest image opportunity.
In the following days, the number of Bayraktar AKINCI and Bayraktar TB2 flying missions increased. Since the first day of the earthquake, Bayraktar AKINCI and Bayraktar TB2s, which are in the inventory of the TAF (KKK, DZKK, HVKK), Ministry of Interior (JGK, EGM) and Baykar, have been on the crisis desk. It provides uninterrupted snapshots and data for damage detection, search and rescue support and coordination activities.
In addition, as of 09.02.2023, 3 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs with integrated Baykar Rapid Mapping Pod started to take high-resolution aerial images for the detection of damage in the earthquake area. As of Thursday, 09.02.2023, 9 Bayraktar AKINCI and 22 Bayraktar TB2 continue their mission flights without a break.