Turkiye’s supersonic combat drone completes first flight test

Middle East, News December 17, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Turkiye’s combat drone manufacturer Bayraktar announced on December 15, 2022, that its fighter jet-like supersonic drone, Bayraktar Kizilelma, has completed the first flight test. The announcement came from the company’s chief Selcuk Bayraktar.

The maiden flight took place at the Akinci Flight Training and Testing Center in northwest Turkiye. This was the first successful flight test of the anticipated supersonic drone. The warplane-like drone is set to go through several flight tests in the coming year before it can be put into production.

First announced in 2021, Bayraktar Kizilelma has been designed to incorporate all the features of a supersonic sonic fighter jet. The name Kizilelma means Red Apple. It can carry 1500 kilograms of payload. It can also take off and land from a short runway.

The Kizilelma is powered by a single Ukrainian-designed turbofan engine, allowing it an endurance of five to six hours at an altitude of 35000 feet with a flight radius of 950 kilometers.

🗓️ 14.12.2022

İlk uçuş. First flight.#KIZILELMA ✈️🍎🚀 pic.twitter.com/QPW0egseaw
— Selçuk Bayraktar (@Selcuk) December 14, 2022

The prototypes of Kizilelma, and other early versions, were powered by a non-afterburning Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLT turbofan. However, it is expected that the production units would be by an afterburning Ivchenko-Progress AI-322F, which should ensure supersonic performance.

The aircraft would include a wide range of Turkish-made air-to-ground and air-to-air precision missiles and munition systems. The drone can reach the maximum speed of Mach 1. supersonic speeds are not something typically seen in combat drones, with the possible exception of the U.S.-made MQ-28 Ghost Bat, at least to some degree.

In contrast to the TB2 and Akinci, the fast and high-flying Kizilelma is planned to have an air-to-air combat capability, as well as conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike operations. Few details, however, are available of the avionics and overall mission architecture that will be required to conduct counter-air missions, let alone more straightforward functions. Reportedly, the drone is also fitted with active electronically scanned array radar.

*^{Turkiye’s stealth combat drone Kizlelma takes its first flight. (Image Credit: Twitter/@Selcuk)}*

Another significant aspect of the Kizilelma is its short takeoff and landing capability, which would allow it to operate from small-deck aircraft carriers like the Turkish Navy’s Anadolu amphibious assault ship, which features a ‘ski jump’ takeoff ramp at the bow.

Kizilelma has an innovative and interesting approach to designing a high-speed tactical combat drone. It combines the feature of conventional drones by carrying a low observable design incorporated into an airframe of a warplane. Later versions of Kizilelma are expected to focus on increasing its endurance, range, and survivability against air-to-air and ground-based air defenses.