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Baykar's first serial production Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet, designated S1, completed its maiden flight following a 2025 testing campaign with five prototypes already built, the company announced late Thursday.
Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar shared footage of the first serial production of Kizilelma's test flight. The maiden flight involved system identification testing, according to Baykar's social media announcement.
The Toygun low-observable electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) and Karat infrared search and track (IRST) optical systems were not visible on the first serial production unit, indicating Baykar may be awaiting serial production deliveries of critical optical systems tested toward the end of 2025.
Baykar Flight Training and Test Center Unit Leader Halil Akar recently told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) that two serial production Kizilelma unmanned fighters will be delivered in the first quarter of 2026.
"We have produced five Kizilelma prototypes and two serial production aircraft," Akar said, adding that, "In the first quarter of 2026, we will deliver our aircraft to the Turkish Armed Forces inventory."
The platform is planned for inclusion in the Turkish Armed Forces inventory this year.
In November 2025, Kizilelma became the world's first unmanned fighter jet to hit an air target, firing a beyond-visual-range air-to-air (BVRAAM) missile at a target detected by its internal AESA radar.
In December 2025, Kizilelma prototypes PT3 and PT5 conducted autonomous close formation flight under autonomous combat pilot control using smart fleet autonomy algorithms developed by Baykar.
The test marked the first time in aviation history that two unmanned fighter jets performed coordinated formation flight without human intervention.
The flight test also included combat air patrol (CAP) missions. The prototypes conducted patrol flights along designated routes using fleet autonomy software, validating the capability for air defense missions to be performed by unmanned fighter fleets.
The final months of 2025 proved critical for Kizilelma with extensive weapon and sensor testing, including TOLUN small diameter bomb (SDB) and TEBER-82 Laser/GNSS guided bombs, Aselsan's Murad 100-A AESA radar, Toygun 100 EOTS, Gokdogan beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and Karat 100 IRST.
Bayraktar Kizilelma is being developed as a platform capable of operating with sensor systems, including radar and IRST, as well as air-to-air and cruise missiles.
The Bayraktar Kizilelma features high maneuverability, stealth characteristics against radar with low radar cross section and the capability to take off and land on short-runway aircraft carriers.
Basic flight performance specifications include 1,500 kg payload capacity, 8,500 kg maximum takeoff weight, 0.6 Mach cruise speed, 0.9 Mach maximum speed, 500 nautical miles combat radius, 25,000 feet operational altitude, 45,000 feet service ceiling and more than three hours endurance.
The aircraft measures 14.5 meters in length, 10 meters wingspan and 3.5 meters in height. It operates with a turbofan engine and features autonomous takeoff, landing, cruise and taxi capabilities with line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications.
Payload systems include electro-optical targeting systems, infrared search and track systems, multi-mode AESA radar, laser-guided munitions, missiles and long-range cruise missiles. Versions include subsonic, transonic and supersonic variants.
Kizilelma's first flight took place Dec. 14, 2022, at Baykar's Corlu Akinci Flight Training and Test Center.
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