The Turkish-made combat drone TB2 Bayraktar has undoubtedly demonstrated its operational efficiency in recent months, whether in Syria, Libya or Nagorno-Karabakh. He notably demonstrated great precision, both in guiding artillery strikes and in the use of his own light MAM munitions, dealing serious blows to opposing defenses, including against modern anti-aircraft systems like the Pantsir S1. But if the drone is obviously a success of the Turkish aeronautics industry, its components are, on the other hand, largely imported from Ankara's “allies” within NATO.
This is particularly the case for Canada, whose industry also supplied the CMX-15D infrared and electro-optical ball designed and manufactured by Wescam, as well as the 914 hp Rotax 100 engine which powers the device. After suspending the export of optical components at the beginning of October, it is now the turn of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Product, a subsidiary of the American L3 Technologies, which designs and sells Rotax engines, to suspend the sale of its engines in Ankara. Indeed, the license to use Rotax engines, very widespread in the field of motorized ultra-lights and very light touring aircraft, prohibits their use in fields other than that of leisure, in particular, to design systems weapons, unless explicitly exempted as in the case of drones from the MQ-1 Predator family.
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