For the first time, a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drone has crashed in Libya.

Military observer Oded Berkowitz reported this on his page on the X social media.

The UAV remains were found near the city of Ajaylata, about halfway between Tripoli and the border with Tunisia.

According to its rondelles, the lost drone belonged to the Libyan Air Force.

The transfer of at least one drone of this type was reported in May 2023, when the Prime Minister of Libya published footage of these devices being used to counter smuggling operations.

Columnist Oded Berkowitz notes that the drone was likely based at the Misrata air base, from where it carried out combat and training missions.

According to the published images, the drone was carrying suspended weapons, such as MAM-L bombs.

The exact cause of its loss is unknown, but some resources suggest that a smuggling group may have shot it down, as evidenced by strange trails in the sky during the crash.

This loss was the first for Bayraktar Akıncı drones, which are only just beginning to enter service and be delivered to export customers.

In addition to Libya, they are in service in Turkey, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Mali, the UAE, and Burkina Faso.

Militarnyi previously reported that Turkey and Saudi Arabia are deepening cooperation between their defense industries.

In particular, it concerns the production of large Akinci unmanned aerial vehicles.

In addition, Baykar signed an agreement to export an unspecified number of Akinci drones worth $3.1 billion to Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was signed during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.