Kizilelma: Baykar’s Groundbreaking Drone Makes Its Debut on the Runway

Türkiye’s pioneering homegrown unmanned combat aircraft Bayraktar Kizilelma, engineered by Baykar Technologies, has successfully completed its initial test runs.

Bayraktar Kizilelma, relocated to Akinci Flight Training and Test Center in the northwestern Tekirdag province’s Çorlu district, first accomplished taxi and surface maneuver tests with safety measures in place.

Subsequently, the inaugural test runs without safety measures were conducted under the direction of Selçuk Bayraktar, the chief technology officer of the company.

Kizilelma aims to make a notable impact in combat situations, particularly with its “capability to take off and land on vessels with shortened runways.”

Engineered with short-runway vessels like the TCG Anadolu in mind, Türkiye’s inaugural LHD-class ship, this fighter jet is poised to play a significant role in international missions thanks to this characteristic. It will possess a minimal radar profile due to its innovative design.

Kizilelma will have the capacity to carry 1,500 kilograms of payload (including munitions and devices, etc.). Its operational range extends to 930 kilometers, with the service ceiling announced as 10,668 meters. It can remain airborne for five hours and can reach a peak speed of 900 km/h.

It will be outfitted with domestically produced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

In contrast to standard unmanned aerial vehicles, Kizilelma will also be capable of engaging air targets with local air-to-air munitions. With these enhancements, it will rebalance the dynamics on the battlefield.

This groundbreaking aircraft was presented at Teknofest, Türkiye’s largest aviation and technology festival, in the northern city of Samsun, garnering significant attention despite ongoing design and enhancement pursuits.

The maiden flight of Kizilelma is anticipated to occur in 2023, as per Bayraktar.

The Turkish UAVs gained international recognition amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War that commenced on September 27, 2020, between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as Türkiye emerged as a burgeoning drone powerhouse by supplying its ally Azerbaijan with UAVs for use in the conflict, which notably aided in Azerbaijan’s triumph.