EXCLUSIVE: Türkiye’s Kızılelma drone simulates Gökdoğan missile firing to destroy F-16 fighter jet.

Turkey’s Baykar Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet recorded a direct strike on a simulated F-16 during a controlled test using the indigenous Gokdogan air-to-air missile. The successful shot underscores Ankara’s push for a fully sovereign aerial combat ecosystem and signals growing maturity in unmanned strike aviation.

Turkey’s push into next-generation air combat took a visible leap last week after Baykar’s Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet carried out a live weapons demonstration that defense officials described as a proof-of-concept moment for the country’s autonomous strike programs. According to Turkish authorities, the jet launched a domestically built Gokdogan air-to-air missile that tracked and destroyed a mock F-16 target, validating both the guidance suite and the platform’s ability to execute beyond visual range engagements without a crew on board.
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Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned fighter jet seen taking off for a simulated air-to-air missile test, during which it successfully locked onto a Turkish F-16 using the indigenous Gökdoğan missile and Murad AESA radar system. (Picture source: Bayraktar)

The Bayraktar Kızılelma, designed and produced entirely from Türkiye domestic resources, is a jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) intended to operate in contested airspace, featuring stealthy capabilities and autonomous mission execution. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 6,000 kilograms and can carry up to 1,500 kilograms of payload, including precision-guided munitions, air-to-air missiles, and electronic warfare pods.

The Kızılelma is powered by a single Ukrainian-made Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLT turbofan engine, with later variants expected to incorporate the more powerful Turkish TEI TF6000 engine. Its operational ceiling exceeds 35,000 feet, and it can reach subsonic speeds near Mach 0.9. Kızılelma also integrates advanced flight control systems, including automatic takeoff and landing on short runways or aircraft carriers, and is being tailored for compatibility with the future Turkish Navy amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu.

The test was carried out from the Akıncı Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, involving two Turkish Air Force F-16s in a controlled, high-stakes engagement scenario. Over the course of the 105-minute flight, the Kızılelma climbed to an average operational altitude of 15,000 feet and executed a simulated beyond-visual-range kill chain, a tactical sequence typically reserved for manned fighter aircraft. With one F-16 flying in close formation and the second acting as a target drone substitute, the Kızılelma’s onboard Murad Active Electronically Scanned Array radar acquired, tracked, and locked the target independently before triggering the Gökdoğan missile in a simulated launch.

Baykar’s engineers, who have been conducting a series of graduated capability tests since the unmanned platform’s maiden flight in late 2022, confirmed that this latest test not only validated Gökdoğan’s integration but also demonstrated tactical synergy between the Kızılelma and legacy fighter assets. The Murad radar, developed by ASELSAN, proved critical in target detection and engagement without external sensor input, a key step toward battlefield autonomy.

This flight now pushes the Kızılelma test fleet past the 55-hour flight milestone. Sources familiar with the development effort tell Army Recognition that the next phase will focus on live missile firings, sensor-fusion upgrades, and swarm-coordination capabilities in electronic warfare conditions. These capabilities are viewed as central to Ankara’s plan to develop a manned-unmanned combat ecosystem that can operate under heavy jamming and GPS-denied conditions.

The Gökdoğan, developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, is a short-range infrared-homing missile comparable in class to the AIM-9X Sidewinder. While this week’s test was conducted in simulation mode, its performance data will inform future integration efforts for live-fire validation. The Kızılelma is designed to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with modular payloads and networked data-sharing capabilities.

Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, emphasized the program’s strategic vision in recent interviews, stating that Kızılelma is not merely a drone but the foundation of a next-generation air combat doctrine. By removing foreign dependencies from critical combat systems, Türkiye is reshaping its role as a drone power into a fully integrated airpower innovator. That ambition appears closer than ever following this landmark test.

With increasing instability in nearby regions and delays in procuring foreign fighters, Ankara’s ability to field a stealth-capable, armed UCAV equipped with indigenous sensors and missiles is likely to recalibrate regional power balances. The successful integration of radar, datalinks, and national missile systems into a high-performance unmanned aircraft platform positions Türkiye among a small group of nations capable of developing and fielding autonomous combat aircraft with real-time engagement capability.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.