Bayraktar KIZILELMA: Türkiye’s First Unmanned Combat Aircraft
Bayraktar KIZILELMA is Türkiye’s — and one of the world’s — first jet-powered, low-observable, AESA-equipped unmanned combat aircraft. After a world-first beyond-visual-range air-to-air kill in November 2025 and the start of serial production, KIZILELMA enters Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2026. This is what makes it different, what it can carry, and where it sits in Baykar’s wider drone family.
Beyond the TB2: A Jet-Powered Drone Fighter
KIZILELMA is a generational shift inside the Baykar product family. Where the TB2 and Akıncı are propeller-driven, the KIZILELMA is a single-jet, low-observable platform designed to operate at fighter-jet altitudes and speeds. The aircraft is positioned as a true unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) — capable of operating with crewed fighters as a “loyal wingman”, or independently in contested airspace where a manned aircraft would face unacceptable risk.
| Key Facts — Bayraktar KIZILELMA |
|---|
| Class: Jet-powered, low-observable unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Manufacturer: Baykar (Türkiye) First flight: 14 December 2022 World first: BVR air-to-air kill from an unmanned platform — November 2025 Engine: AI-322F turbofan (Block A); domestic turbofan target on later blocks Status: serial production in progress; Turkish Armed Forces inventory entry 2026 |
Technical Specifications
KIZILELMA’s specifications place it in the medium UCAV category — significantly larger than the TB2, comparable in size to a single-engine fighter, and built around a high-performance jet engine that delivers transonic speeds and high-altitude operation.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | ~10 m |
| Maximum take-off weight (MTOW) | 6,500–8,500 kg (block dependent) |
| Useful payload | 1,500 kg |
| Powerplant | 1 × AI-322F turbofan (Block A); successor engines planned |
| Maximum speed | High subsonic (~Mach 0.9) |
| Operational altitude | 25,000 ft |
| Endurance | ~3 hours (block dependent) |
| Weapons stations | 8 (2 internal, 6 external) |
| Radar | Internal AESA radar (MURAD family) |
Low Observability and Internal Weapons Bays
KIZILELMA’s airframe is shaped for a low frontal radar cross-section: a sharply chined fuselage, edge-aligned panels, internal weapons stowage and a serpentine intake reduce radar return relative to legacy drones. Two of the aircraft’s eight weapons stations are internal, meaning that for stealth-priority missions the aircraft can fly with a clean external configuration while still carrying air-to-air munitions.
AESA Radar and the World-First BVR Kill
The most consequential technical milestone for the programme came in November 2025. KIZILELMA used its internal AESA radar to detect an aerial target and engaged it with a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile — making it, in Baykar’s claim, the first unmanned aircraft in the world to score a BVR air-to-air kill. The test validated both the platform’s sensor performance and the data-link infrastructure that allows ground controllers to authorise lethal engagements at fighter-jet altitudes.
Weapons Loadout
KIZILELMA is being integrated with the Turkish air-to-air missile family — Gökdoğan (BVR) and Bozdoğan (WVR) — as well as the wider Roketsan and Tübitak SAGE air-to-surface inventory.
| Weapon | Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gökdoğan | BVR air-to-air missile | Türkiye’s indigenous BVRAAM |
| Bozdoğan | WVR air-to-air missile | High off-boresight short-range AAM |
| MAM-L / MAM-T | Laser-guided micro-munitions | Carryover from TB2/Akıncı family |
| SOM | Air-launched cruise missile | Stand-off precision strike |
| HGK / KGK | Precision-guided bomb kits | Air-to-surface bomb conversion |
Operating Concepts: Loyal Wingman and Carrier Operations
KIZILELMA is the only Baykar platform that has been openly demonstrated operating with crewed fighters in a “loyal wingman” arrangement. In a joint test with Italy’s Leonardo M-346, the platforms exercised MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) concepts in which the M-346 pilot directed KIZILELMA assets in a contested-airspace scenario. The aircraft’s short take-off and landing footprint also opens the door to operations from short-deck ships — including TCG ANADOLU — making KIZILELMA the second Baykar platform after the TB3 to be relevant to Turkish naval aviation.
Export Customers and Production
KIZILELMA’s first international order was placed by Indonesia, alongside the much larger KAAN deal. Serial production has begun at Baykar’s Akıncı Flight Training and Test Centre and is being scaled to support both domestic and export deliveries from 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did KIZILELMA make its first flight?
On 14 December 2022. The first BVR air-to-air kill from the platform was achieved in November 2025.
How fast can KIZILELMA fly?
High subsonic — approximately Mach 0.9 at altitude.
What engine does KIZILELMA use?
The Block A uses the Ukrainian-Turkish AI-322F turbofan; later blocks target a domestic engine.
Has KIZILELMA scored an air-to-air kill?
Yes — in November 2025, Baykar claims the world’s first BVR air-to-air kill from an unmanned aircraft, using KIZILELMA’s internal AESA radar.
Which countries are buying KIZILELMA?
Indonesia is the first publicly confirmed export customer, signing an export contract alongside its KAAN deal.
Conclusion
KIZILELMA closes the gap between the propeller-driven armed drones of the 2010s and the manned-unmanned teaming concepts of the late 2020s. With a successful BVR air-to-air engagement already on its record, serial production under way, and the first export customer signed, the aircraft now sits at the leading edge of where uncrewed combat aviation is going.
Suggested Images (with alt text + sources)
Search the WordPress Media Library first for the keywords below. If no asset exists, use the suggested external source (royalty-free / official press).
| # | Suggested Image | Alt Text / Caption | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image 1 | kizilelma-flight.jpg | Bayraktar KIZILELMA jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft in flight | Search WP Media first (‘KIZILELMA’); fallback: Baykar Tech press kit (baykartech.com/en/uav/bayraktar-kizilelma/) |
| Image 2 | kizilelma-weapons-bay.jpg | KIZILELMA internal weapons bay with air-to-air missile loadout | Search WP Media first; fallback: Baykar / Roketsan official media |
| Image 3 | kizilelma-mum-t-leonardo.jpg | KIZILELMA and Leonardo M-346 manned-unmanned teaming exercise | Search WP Media first (‘MUM-T’); fallback: Leonardo press release |
Sources
Bayraktar KIZILELMA product page — Baykar Tech — https://baykartech.com/tr/uav/bayraktar-kizilelma/
Türkiye’nin ilk insansız savaş uçağı KIZILELMA 2026’da TSK envanterinde — SDE — https://www.sde.org.tr/haber/turkiye-nin-ilk-insansiz-savas-ucagi-kizilelma-2026-da-tsk-envanterinde-haberi-62341
KIZILELMA seri üretime geçti: İlk teslimatlar 2026’da — Savunma Plus — https://www.savunmaplus.com/bayraktar-kizilelma-seri-uretime-gecti-ilk-teslimatlar-2026da/
KIZILELMA ve M-346 sahaya çıkıyor: Baykar ve Leonardo’dan MUM-T testi — Savunma Sanayi ST — https://www.savunmasanayist.com/kizilelma-ve-m-346-sahaya-cikiyor-baykar-ve-leonardodan-mum-t-testi/
Baykar ve Endonezya Arasında KIZILELMA İhracat Sözleşmesi — Savunma Sanayi ST — https://www.savunmasanayist.com/baykar-ve-endonezya-arasinda-kizilelma-ihracat-sozlesmesi/
