IRIA News

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Turkiye’s unmanned fighter jet, Bayraktar Kizilelma, became the first UAV in the world to target a jet-powered aerial target, an F-16 fighter jet, with a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile, defense company Baykar Technologies announced.

The test took place off the coast of Sinop, located on the Black Sea. Kizilelma detected and tracked a high-speed target aircraft using Aselsan’s Murad active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Once the radar marked the target, the unmanned fighter launched a TÜBİTAK SAGE-developed Gokdogan BVR missile from its wing station, locking and virtually destroying the jet-powered target with full accuracy.

Baykar said the test was the first time in global aviation history that an unmanned fighter jet successfully used an air-to-air missile to destroy a jet-engine aerial target beyond visual range. It was also the first time in Turkish aviation history that an indigenous radar, an indigenous aircraft, and an indigenous missile were combined in a single air-to-air engagement.

“This pride belongs to our nation,” Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said, calling the test “a turning point” for Turkiye’s national aerospace ambitions. “With a national aircraft, national radar, and national missile, we completed every link in the air-to-air engagement chain using fully domestic capabilities.”

Bayraktar #KIZILELMA, görüş ötesi havadan havaya füzeyle hedefini vurarak dünya havacılık tarihinde bir ilke daha imza attı. ✈️🚀🍎

Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri'ne, Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı'na, ASELSAN'a, TÜBİTAK SAGE'ye ve Baykar'daki yol arkadaşlarıma, bu milletin bir mühendis… pic.twitter.com/zD61ARFpDB

— Selçuk Bayraktar (@Selcuk) November 30, 2025

Formation Flights with F-16s

The test also showcased the future of manned-unmanned teaming. Five F-16 fighter jets from the 5th Main Jet Base Command in Merzifon took off to join Kizilelma over Sinop.

The unmanned fighter conducted a joint formation flight with the F-16s, marking one of the first demonstrations of Turkiye’s planned integrated air combat operations. A Bayraktar Akinci UAV accompanied the group and recorded the engagement from above.

Baykar said the engagement showed that Kizilelma had verified its air-to-air combat capability, building on earlier tests in which it successfully carried out precision air-to-ground strikes using Tolun and Teber-82 munitions.

Air Force Commander Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadioglu, Combat Air Forces Commander Gen. Rafet Dalkiran, Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol, and Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar monitored the strike from the cockpits of F-16s participating in the formation.

“Sees Without Being Seen”

Baykar described the test as further validation of Kizilelma’s low-observable design and advanced sensor suite. With a reduced radar cross-section and a combination of Murad Asea radar and the Toygun electro-optical targeting system, Kizilelam is designed to detect enemy aircraft long before it is detected itself.

“The successful engagement demonstrates a wide-ranging engineering chain, from sensor fusion and radar to flight control and missile systems, working in harmony on a single national platform,” said Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat. He called the test proof of the country’s growing ability to field complex autonomous combat systems.

Officials described the concept as “seeing without being seen, striking without being hit,” positioning Kizilelam as a platform intended to provide decisive air combat advantages in contested airspace.

Technological Features of Kizilelma

Kizilelma is designed as a next-generation unmanned fighter jet capable of both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. Its key known features include:

• Low-observable airframe: The design reduces radar cross-section, enhancing survivability in contested environments.
• Jet propulsion: Powered by a turbofan engine, the platform can reach high subsonic speeds, enabling rapid interception and maneuverability.
• Internal and external weapon stations: Designed to carry a combination of air-to-air missiles, precision bombs, and standoff weapons.
• Autonomous decision support: Advanced avionics and flight control systems allow the UAV to conduct complex missions, including tracking, targeting, and engagement, autonomously or in coordination with manned aircraft.
• Modular payload architecture: Enables integration of indigenous sensors, communication suites, and electronic warfare systems.
• Carrier compatibility: Kizilelma is expected to conduct takeoff and landing operations from the TCG Anadolu and from the Mugem-class aircraft carrier under construction.
• High endurance and payload capacity: Optimized for long-range missions, persistent patrols, and high-performance strike operations.

Defense analysts say the platform represents a shift toward unmanned air superiority concepts that were previously considered decades away, positioning Turkiye among the few countries developing unmanned fighters with real combat capabilities.

Export Success and Strategic Implications

Baykar said it has funded all its UAV projects using its own resources since 2003. The company generated $1.8 billion in exports in both 2023 and 2024, with 90% of revenue coming from foreign sales. It has signed export agreements with 37 countries, including 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 and 16 for the Bayraktar Akinci.

According to data from Turkiye’s Defense Industry Agency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Baykar has been the country’s top defense and aerospace exporter for four consecutive years. The company accounted for one-third of all defense exports in 2023 and one-quarter in 2024.

Industry Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said the achievement marks a “global first” and proves that Turkiye’s national technology capability “has reached a level capable of rewriting the rules of air superiority.”

Aselsan and Roketsan, which developed Kizilelma’s radar systems, also described the milestone as a demonstration of Turkiye’s ability to produce a fully integrated combat chain with indigenous technology.

Defense observers said the test carries strategic significance, signaling Turkiye’s ambition to redefine air combat with autonomous systems and to position itself as a leader in unmanned fighter technologies.

The test marked the beginning of what officials described as a new era for Turkiye’s airpower, solidifying Kizilelma’s status as the first unmanned aircraft in the world to demonstrate verified air-to-air combat capability beyond visual range.