Bayraktar KIZILELMA: Production Prototype Successfully Completes Its First Flight.

The production prototype of the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Turkey’s first unmanned combat aircraft, has reached a significant milestone by successfully completing its maiden flight. This new aircraft, bearing the tail number TC-ÖZB3, conducted this historic flight on September 25, 2024, from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, in the Tekirdağ province.
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The Bayraktar KIZILELMA is an unmanned combat drone developed in Turkey, designed for air combat missions with high maneuverability and a low radar signature (RCS) (Picture source: Bayraktar)

The Bayraktar KIZILELMA is an unmanned combat drone developed in Turkey, designed for air combat missions with high maneuverability and a low radar signature (RCS). Powered by a turbofan engine, it can reach a cruising speed of 0.6 Mach and a maximum speed of 0.9 Mach, with a payload capacity of 1.5 tons and an endurance of over 4 hours. It can operate at an altitude of 25,000 feet, with a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. Equipped with an AESA radar and an electro-optical targeting system, the KIZILELMA is capable of autonomous missions, including takeoffs and landings on short-runway aircraft carriers. It can carry laser-guided munitions, missiles, and long-range cruise missiles. It comes in subsonic, transonic, and supersonic versions.

Transferred to the center in July, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA PT-3 successfully passed a series of critical ground tests before its flight, including engine run-up tests, automatic taxi tests, rolling tests, and takeoff tests. This prototype, representing an advanced production version, cleared these stages successfully, paving the way for its flight under the supervision of Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman and CTO of Baykar.

Although the test flight was short, it allowed for the completion of important system identification activities. After the flight, Selçuk Bayraktar stated that further tests would continue to refine the aircraft's capabilities and expressed his best wishes for the success of the project for the country and the nation. The KIZILELMA, with its third production version, incorporates significant advancements both structurally and in avionics architecture. Its afterburner-equipped engine enables the aircraft to approach the speed of sound, while aerodynamic improvements provide better maneuverability at high speeds. Additionally, the AESA radar installed on the aircraft ensures high situational awareness, essential for executing complex missions.

Since the launch of the Bayraktar KIZILELMA project in 2021, funded entirely by Baykar's resources, progress has been rapid. The prototype, produced in November 2022, completed its first flight in December of the same year after successfully passing a battery of ground tests. This project is part of a dynamic of accelerated innovation that continues to push the boundaries of Turkish aeronautics.

Equipped with an AESA radar and an electro-optical targeting system, the KIZILELMA is capable of autonomous missions, including takeoffs and landings on short-runway aircraft carriers (Picture source: Bayraktar)

The KIZILELMA also made a mark with its performance at TEKNOFEST 2023, where it performed formation flights alongside the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, SOLOTÜRK F-16, and Turkish Stars F-5 jets over Istanbul. These exceptional achievements are seen as a prelude to the future of air combat, where unmanned combat systems will play a prominent role.

In addition to its technical prowess, the KIZILELMA stands out for its ability to operate from short-runway vessels, particularly the TCG Anadolu, providing Turkey with a strategic advantage in overseas missions and the defense of the "Blue Homeland" (Mavi Vatan). This capability broadens the operational horizons of Turkish forces, enabling rapid and targeted interventions from the sea.

Baykar, the company behind the KIZILELMA, has solidified its position as a global leader in the field of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Since its beginnings in UAV research and development in 2003, Baykar has generated 83% of its revenue from exports. In 2023, the company achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among Turkey’s top ten companies in terms of export volume. These achievements earned the company multiple awards, including the "Export Champion" title, granted by the Defense Industry Agency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM).

In 2023, Baykar represented one-third of Turkey’s total defense and aerospace sector exports. To date, the company has signed export agreements with 33 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and with 10 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV. With 97.5% of its contracts based on exports, Baykar has established itself as the world’s largest exporter of armed unmanned aerial vehicles.

This dynamic of accelerated development and the increasing operational capabilities of its aerial systems position Baykar as a key player on the global military aerospace stage, with the Bayraktar KIZILELMA at the forefront of this technological revolution. The successful first flight of this third production prototype only reinforces this trajectory of innovation, as testing continues to further perfect this promising aircraft.