DIRECT HIT IN AIR-TO-AIR ENGAGEMENT WITH EREN MUNITION

Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV achieved a direct hit on an airborne target UAV during an air-to-air firing test conducted with the EREN High-Speed Multi-Purpose Loitering Munition.

SINOP
FEBRUARY 21, 2026

The Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, developed indigenously by Baykar, continues to expand its operational capabilities and broaden its range of munition integrations. Having previously conducted successful air-to-air engagements with the KEMANKEŞ-1 AI-Based Mini Cruise Missile, AKINCI has now achieved a similar milestone with the EREN High-Speed Multi-Purpose Loitering Munition, developed by Roketsan.

DEPARTED FROM ÇORLU, STRUCK THE TARGET OVER SİNOP
As part of the test activity, the Bayraktar AKINCI took off from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, and proceeded to the test area over the Black Sea. During the test conducted off the coast of Sinop, a target UAV launched from the ground was successfully neutralized mid-flight by the EREN munition fired from the Bayraktar AKINCI. Following the successful engagement, which resulted in the destruction of the target, the indigenous UCAV returned to Çorlu along its planned route.

MULTI-DOMAIN COMBAT CAPABILITY
Having extended its proven air-to-ground performance to air-to-air missions, the Bayraktar AKINCI has reinforced its operational versatility with this successful engagement using the EREN munition. The indigenous UCAV once again demonstrated its strategic capability by effectively employing diverse munition types against both ground and aerial targets. To date, the following munitions have been successfully tested as part of the UCAV's development program: MAM-L, MAM-L TV, MAM-T, MAM-T IIR/TV, MAM-C, TOLUN, TOLUN IIR, Teber-81, Teber-82, LAÇİN 82, LGK-81, LGK-82, HGK-82, Gökçe Guidance Kit, Gözde Guidance Kit, KGK-82-UCAV, UAV-230 Supersonic Missile, TV Seeker and Laser Seeker variants of the UAV-122 Supersonic Missile, and the Çakır Cruise Missile.

ALTITUDE RECORD HOLDER
Operationally active since its induction into the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) inventory on August 29, 2021, the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV also holds the altitude record in Turkish aviation history. On June 21, 2022, during endurance, high-altitude, and high-speed tests conducted in the presence of delegations from the Defende Industry Agency (SSB) and the Air Force Command, the Bayraktar AKINCI reached an altitude of 45,118 feet (13,716 meters), setting a national record.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Baykar, which has funded all of its projects entirely through its own resources since inception, continued to be the world's largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment in 2025. Maintaining its leadership in the global UCAV market over the past three years, Baykar set a new company record in 2025 with an export volume of $2.2 billion. Deriving approximately 90% of its revenue from exports in recent years, Baykar has become the driving force behind Türkiye's high-technology exports.

BAYKAR: THE WORLD'S LARGEST UAV COMPANY
Having ranked among the top 10 highest-exporting companies across all sectors in Türkiye in 2023 and 2024 — earning the Export Champions Award — Baykar was the defense and aerospace sector's leading exporter in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, according to data from the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). In 2023, Baykar single-handedly accounted for one-third of total sector exports, and in 2024, it accounted for one-quarter of total defense and aerospace sector exports, positioning Türkiye as the global leader in the UCAV export market. As the world's largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 37 countries — 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 16 to date for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.