Burkina Faso has become the third West African country to acquire Turkish-made armed drones for use in the fight against extremism.
The Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly in demand by countries looking for relatively cheap air power to give them an upper hand against insurgent groups. Niger and Togo purchased TB2s recently. Analysts say the appeal of the weapon is clear.
The drones, which are about the size of a small plane, can fly at a height of 8 kilometers, have a range of 150 kilometers and can stay in the air for 27 hours. In Ukraine, they are credited with helping turn the tide against Russian forces after a Ukrainian general claimed two drones had destroyed Russian tanks and weaponry worth $27 million in just three days.