First in History

KIZILELMA became the first unmanned combat aircraft to strike a jet-engine target with an air-to-air missile, marking a global milestone for UAV programs.

It was noted that most comparable projects remain limited to air-to-ground missions, positioning KIZILELMA’s performance as a significant step in expanding unmanned air-combat roles.

About the Test

The test, publicly highlighted on 30 November 2025, followed more than two decades of work since Baykar initiated UAV R&D in 2003 using entirely internal funding.

The test included five F-16s departing Merzifon’s 5th Main Jet Base to join KIZILELMA in formation over Sinop, demonstrating manned–unmanned interoperability central to Baykar’s design philosophy.

A Bayraktar Akıncı UAV documented the flight, underscoring the company’s multi-platform ecosystem and its simultaneous use of several indigenous aircraft in a single operational vignette.

KIZILELMA detected the high-speed target using the MURAD AESA radar developed by ASELSAN before launching the Gökdoğan beyond-visual-range missile produced by TÜBİTAK SAGE.

The missile struck the jet-powered target, completing Türkiye’s first fully national radar-to-missile engagement cycle from a UAV.

Domestic Production

The company emphasized that a domestic aircraft, domestic radar, and domestic missile were used together in a single air-to-air engagement for the first time.

Senior Air Force commanders, including Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Gen. Rafet Dalkıran, observed the test from F-16 cockpits, with ASELSAN’s Ahmet Akyol and Baykar Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar also present.

About Baykar

The company reported that 83% of all revenue since 2003 came from exports and that it achieved $1.8 billion in exports in both 2023 and 2024, with 90% of 2024 revenue generated abroad.

Baykar is ranked among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters in both years and remained the country’s defense-aviation export leader based on official data.