Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle declared war on forest fires in Antalya

The UAV deployed to Gazipaşa by the Directorate General of Forestry will monitor the forest areas in Antalya by flying at 23,000 feet. Equipped with a thermal system, the UAV can detect fires earlier and instantly report the coordinates to ground and air teams, thus taking on an important role in the defense of the ‘Green Homeland’. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Directorate General of Forestry (OGM), which intensifies its efforts to combat the increasing forest fire danger during the summer months in our country, had implemented an important practice in Gazipaşa last year. The Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) deployed to Gazipaşa Airport by the Ministry in 2022 has started its duty in the fire season. Like the previous year, the UAV will monitor the forests in Antalya and its districts from the morning until sunset, detecting potential fires earlier with its thermal system and accelerating intervention in forest fires.
Flying at 23,000 feet, the UAV stationed in Gazipaşa will monitor a forest area of 3.5 million hectares from its location, flying 24 hours a day. Detecting potential fires with the technology it possesses, the UAV will instantly report the coordinates of the fire to the teams and mobilize them. The UAV, which will also serve in the region of the fire, will instantly transmit the aerial images it captures to the firefighting teams. Providing information to the teams about the direction and speed of the fire’s progress, the UAV will facilitate the work of the ground-based firefighters.
Strengthening air and ground power, the Directorate General of Forestry, which fought against the major forest fires in 2021, enhanced its air and ground capabilities in the 2024 fire season in Antalya. For intervention in forest fires in Antalya, 9 helicopters, 6 planes, 113 land vehicles, and 955 firefighters are ready to be on duty at all times. One UAV stationed in Gazipaşa under the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry takes off in the morning and monitors Antalya until sunset.
Sharing information about the UAV, Antalya Regional Director of Forestry Zafer Derince stated that the UAV in Gazipaşa takes off early in the morning and then scans the entire Antalya region regarding fires. Derince emphasized that the UAV has a surveillance capability of up to 180 kilometers, stating, ‘Our UAV is in the air until sunset, and when it detects any heat, it informs us, our colleagues evaluate it, and our first response teams immediately move to the location. UAVs also contribute to the progression of the fire. They show us the intensity of the heat and where to intervene, and we act accordingly.’