Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s first-ever unmanned fighter jet developed indigenously and originally by Baykar, has successfully completed the Afterburner-Assisted Maneuvering System Identification Test as part of its ongoing flight test program.

TEKİRDAĞ/ÇORLU
21 MARCH 2025

Bayraktar KIZILELMA, developed entirely with Baykar’s own resources and set to become Türkiye’s first unmanned fighter jet, continues its flight testing. The test program for the indigenous aircraft is proceeding in line with the planned schedule.

EXECUTED SHARP MANEUVERS
Bayraktar KIZILELMA successfully completed the AB-Assisted Takeoff Maneuvering System Identification Test on March 21. Taking off with afterburner from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, the aircraft’s production prototype, PT3 (tail number TC-OZB3), carried out a series of system identification procedures and sharp maneuvers during the test flight.

SET TO PERFORM THE MOST CHALLENGING TASKS
As part of Bayraktar KIZILELMA’s development process, key modifications were made to the production prototype based on insights gained from the initial prototypes. In addition to structural improvements, enhancements were made to the avionics architecture. The aircraft also completed a successful flight with an afterburning engine alternative, which was fully integrated into the system. Powered by its new high-thrust engine, Bayraktar KIZILELMA is expected to approach the speed of sound and will be capable of executing sharper maneuvers at high speeds thanks to aerodynamic refinements. Equipped with an AESA radar, the aircraft will also possess enhanced situational awareness, enabling it to perform the most challenging missions.

 
AIRBORNE IN RECORD TIME
Project Bayraktar KIZILELMA, financed entirely by Baykar, was launched in 2021. On November 14, 2022, the aircraft bearing the tail number TC-ÖZB rolled off the production line and was transferred to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu. After successfully completing ground tests in rapid succession, Bayraktar KIZILELMA performed its maiden flight on December 14, 2022. The aircraft took to the skies in a record time of just one year.

MANY FIRSTS IN AVIATION HISTORY
During TEKNOFEST 2023, Bayraktar KIZILELMA made aviation history with a series of unprecedented flights. The aircraft performed formation flights with Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, and on May 1, 2023, flew in formation over Istanbul with the F-16 fighter jet SOLOTÜRK and the Turkish Stars, a group of F-5 jets, in a fleet configuration. These flight concepts, which marked a turning point in global aviation history, are also expected to shape the future of aerial combat.

EXPORT CHAMPION
Baykar has carried out all its projects to date using its own resources. Since the start of its UAV R&D journey in 2003, the company has generated 83% of its total revenue from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among the top 10 exporters across all sectors in Türkiye. As the world’s leading exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles, Baykar maintained its global success in 2024 as well, once again reaching $1.8 billion in exports, with 90% of its revenue coming from international sales.

BAYKAR: THE WORLD’S LARGEST UAV COMPANY
Recipient of the prestigious “Champions of Export” award, Baykar was the top exporter in the defense and aerospace sector in 2021, 2022, and 2023, according to data from the Defence Industry Agency (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). The year before, Baykar alone accounted for one-third of the sector’s total exports. In 2024, the company realized a quarter of all defense and aerospace exports singlehandedly, positioning Türkiye as the global leader in the UAV export market. As the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 36 countries — 34 for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 11 for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.