Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s first-ever unmanned fighter jet, developed indigenously and originally by Baykar, successfully completed the Aerodynamics System Identification Test in accordance with its test schedule.

ÇORLU / TEKİRDAĞ
6 MARCH 2025

Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s first-ever unmanned fighter jet, developed entirely through Baykar’s self-financing, continues to undergo tests in accordance with its pre-planned schedule.

FLIGHT TESTS CONTINUE
Most recently, on March 6, Bayraktar KIZILELMA successfully completed the Aerodynamics System Identification Test. Taking off from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, the aircraft’s production prototype, PT3, with tail number TC-OZB3, successfully carried out a series of aerodynamics system identification activities during the test flight.

SET TO EXECUTE THE MOST CHALLENGING TASKS
Building on the experiences gained from the initial prototypes during the development of Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Baykar made significant modifications to its production prototype. These included structural improvements as well as enhancements to the aircraft’s avionics architecture. At the same time, Bayraktar KIZILELMA flew with an alternative engine, successfully integrated with an afterburner. With its powerful new engine, the aircraft is set to approach the speed of sound and perform better maneuvers at high speeds thanks to aerodynamic improvements. Equipped with an AESA radar for high situational awareness, Bayraktar KIZILELMA will be capable of executing the most challenging tasks.

AIRBORNE IN RECORD TIME
Baykar launched Project Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which was entirely self-financed, in 2021. The Bayraktar KIZILELMA, with tail number TC-OZB, rolled off the production line on November 14, 2022, and was deployed to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ. There, it swiftly completed ground tests before making its maiden flight on December 14, 2022. In other words, the aircraft joined the skies in just one year – a record time.

UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENTS IN AVIATION HISTORY
Bayraktar KIZILELMA made history during TEKNOFEST 2023 with a series of groundbreaking flights in global aviation. In addition to performing formation flights with the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, on May 1, 2023, Bayraktar KIZILELMA participated in a fleet formation flight with the F-16 fighter jet SOLOTURK and the Turkish Stars, a demonstration team consisting of F-5 aircraft, over Istanbul. These flight concepts, a milestone in the history of aviation, are expected to shape the future of air combat.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Since its inception, Baykar has carried out all its projects using its own resources, and since the beginning of its UAV R&D process in 2003, 83% of its revenue has come from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, placing it among the top 10 exporting companies across all sectors in Türkiye. As the largest UAV exporter in the world, Baykar continued its global success in 2024, with 90% of its revenue generated from exports, achieving another $1.8 billion in exports.

BAYKAR: THE WORLD’S LARGEST UAV COMPANY
Winner of the Export Champions Award, Baykar was named Türkiye’s export leader in the defense and aviation sectors by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Having accounted for one-third of the sector’s exports the previous year, Baykar accounted for a quarter of Türkiye’s total defense and aviation exports in 2024, solidifying the country’s leadership position in the global UCAV export market. Baykar, the world’s largest UAV company, has signed export agreements with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and with 11 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, totaling agreements with 36 countries to date.