New kamikaze drone with 1,234 mile-range, 441-pound warhead unveiled

Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has unveiled the K2 Kamikaze UAV, its most advanced loitering munition to date. The K2 is a heavy, AI-powered strike drone with a maximum takeoff weight of 800 kg (1,764 lbs), capable of flying over 2,000 kilometers (1,234 miles) and carrying a 200 kg (441 lbs) warhead. Designed for deep strikes against strategic and high-value targets far behind enemy lines, the K2 significantly outperforms comparable drones like Iran’s Shahed-136 in both range and payload capacity. It can operate from short or rough runways, enhancing its deployment flexibility. A key feature of the K2 is its sophisticated AI system, which enables autonomous swarm operations without GPS reliance. In flight tests, multiple K2 drones maintained complex formations using onboard sensors and proprietary software, supporting various swarm tactics to overwhelm defenses or strike multiple targets simultaneously. The drone also uses visual target identification and automatic lock-on for