Turkish drone maker Baykar is showing four of its unmanned aircraft, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, TB2, TB3 and AKINCI, at the second Bamako International Defence and Security Exhibition (BAMEX), which runs from 9 to 13 November 2026 at the Bamako Exhibition Centre (Foire Exposition de Bamako, FEBAK) in Mali. The KIZILELMA, Baykar’s jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft, is being displayed in Malian national flag markings in a nod to the host country.
BAMEX 2026 is organised by Mali’s Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs with the Turkish company The Peak Defense. Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Bilal Durdalı, visited Baykar’s stand during the exhibition, where the company is presenting its unmanned aviation technologies to military officials, government delegations and international defence industry representatives.
KIZILELMA in Malian colours
The KIZILELMA is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It has a low-observable shape and an internal weapons bay, a maximum take-off weight of 8,500 kilogrammes and a payload of 1,500 kilogrammes, and is rated for a maximum speed of Mach 0.9, according to Baykar’s specifications. In 2025 it flew with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar from ASELSAN and became the first unmanned combat aircraft to hit an aerial target with an air-to-air missile. Baykar is aiming for its first serial deliveries to the Turkish military in 2026, Anadolu Agency reported, and has signed its first export deal for the type with Indonesia.
The Malian flag livery does not mean an order has been placed; neither Baykar nor Bamako has announced one. The display is a step up from the first BAMEX in November 2025, when Baykar brought scale models of the same four types and presented a KIZILELMA model to Malian officials.
TB2, TB3 and AKINCI
The Bayraktar TB2, one of Türkiye’s most widely exported unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), is designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision strike. Mali is among the African countries that operate it as part of its military capabilities.
The Bayraktar TB3 is a naval-capable UCAV developed to operate from short-runway vessels, including amphibious assault ships such as the Turkish Navy’s TCG Anadolu. It has folding wings and a larger payload than the TB2, and is designed for maritime reconnaissance, surveillance and precision strike. Baykar recently flew three TB3s from TCG Anadolu during the Sea of Friendship-2026 exercise with Egypt off Alexandria.
The Bayraktar AKINCI is a high-altitude, long-endurance UCAV that can carry advanced sensors and a range of precision-guided munitions for ISR and strike missions that need heavier payloads and longer endurance. Mali is already an operator: the Malian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Maliennes, FAMa) acquired the AKINCI in late 2024 and received a further batch at Sévaré Air Base on 30 July 2026.
Türkiye’s growing reach in African defence
Baykar’s presence at BAMEX reflects the expanding role of Turkish defence manufacturers in African markets. The company has signed export agreements with 37 countries, and Mali, Morocco, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Djibouti, Somalia, Rwanda and Kenya are among the African states that have chosen its drones, Anadolu Agency reported during the first BAMEX. The exhibition gives Baykar the chance to talk to military delegations, procurement officials and industry about unmanned capabilities, partnerships and defence cooperation.
More than 20 Turkish companies are exhibiting in Bamako, including ASELSAN, Roketsan and Skydagger, alongside firms from China, Germany and Sudan, and delegations from more than 40 African countries. The five-day show focuses on defence technology, military modernisation, industrial partnerships and regional security cooperation, and the event also illustrates growing defence industry engagement between Türkiye and Africa. Turkish manufacturers have also been active elsewhere on the continent this year, including HAVELSAN’s agreement with Nigeria’s DICON at AFRIDEX.
From the FEBAK floor to Koulikoro
Dedicated demonstrations on 12 and 13 November at Koulikoro, north-east of Bamako, will let exhibitors show selected systems in the field. For Mali, which relies heavily on its TB2s and AKINCIs against Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), and which retook Kidal in October, the questions are support, spares and whether a jet-powered KIZILELMA would add enough to justify its cost. Whether the Malian colours on Baykar’s stand lead to a contract will become clearer once the show’s procurement talks conclude.
