The Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), developed by Baykar, completed its first test flight integrated with the KARAT Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system on December 31, 2025. 

The flight marked the platform’s final test activity of the year and represented a milestone in its transition toward air-to-air combat roles using passive sensors rather than radar emissions.

The event was made public through video footage shared on social media by Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, showing the system operating successfully during the sortie. 

The test flight followed a standard profile, including taxi, takeoff, climb, maneuvering, and landing. 

During the airborne phase, the KARAT IRST system was actively used to detect and track an aerial target in real time. Infrared video overlays showed crosshairs locking onto distant airborne objects, consistent with passive air-to-air tracking without the use of active radar. 

The flight concluded with a routine landing, with no anomalies reported.

The shared footage, approximately 2–3 minutes in length, included ground shots of the tailless, diamond-shaped Kızılelma prototype and airborne infrared imagery. 

The nose-mounted IRST sensor was clearly visible, along with on-screen tracking symbology against a cloudy background. Other aircraft appeared in the field of view, underlining the air-to-air focus of the test.

The KARAT system, also referred to as KARAT-100, is an IRST developed by ASELSAN primarily for low-observable platforms. 

It operates as a passive long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, detecting targets by heat signature rather than radar reflection. 

The system is reported to feature 640×512-pixel resolution, wide-area scanning, single and multiple target tracking, and the ability to support missile guidance without radar cueing.

Designed with a sharply angled, low-RCS housing, KARAT is optimized for stealth applications and complements electro-optical targeting systems focused on air-to-surface missions. 

On Kızılelma, it is mounted on the nose and serves as an alternative or supplement to radar in the current prototype configuration. The system was first publicly displayed integrated with Kızılelma at IDEF 2025.

This IRST flight builds on earlier Kızılelma milestones, including its first air-to-air missile integration in November 2025 and autonomous formation flights earlier in December 2025. 

The integration reflects broader goals in Türkiye’s indigenous aviation programs, where passive sensors are intended to complement or substitute active radars on stealth platforms. 

Originally developed for the KAAN fifth-generation fighter, KARAT’s integration on Kızılelma—and potentially other UCAVs—underscores a push toward unmanned air combat systems capable of detecting and engaging threats without revealing their position.