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Kizilelma fires from internal weapons bay for first time, hits targets

Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter aircraft during live-fire tests from its internal weapons bay, with TEBER-82 and TOLUN munitions, at Corlu, Tekirdag, July 30, 2026. (Photo via Baykar/HO)
July 30, 2026 01:55 PM GMT+03:00

Türkiye's first unmanned fighter aircraft (UFA), the Bayraktar Kizilelma, has completed its first live firing tests from its internal weapons bay, scoring direct hits with TEBER-82 and TOLUN munitions in tests at Corlu.

Baykar called it a milestone that validates the jet's ability to strike with precision while preserving its low radar signature.

The internal-bay capability moves the Kizilelma closer to its designed role: penetrating deep into defended airspace with munitions carried inside the fuselage, where they do not compromise the aircraft's radar cross-section, speed or aerodynamic efficiency.

Direct hits with TEBER-82 and TOLUN in back-to-back tests

The serial production model, tail number S2, first fired a Roketsan-produced TEBER-82 from its internal weapon station in a test with an Aselsan-produced TOLUN-P munition, Baykar announced.

In both tests at the Corlu Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdag, the Kizilelma took off, proceeded to the target area and fired from its internal bay, scoring direct hits on the designated targets, the company said.

"Thanks to its internal weapons bay, Kizilelma will be able to penetrate deep into hostile territory and strike using indigenous munitions while maintaining a low radar signature," Baykar said, adding that internal carriage enables the aircraft to operate "more effectively in areas with dense air defense coverage."

Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter aircraft during live-fire tests from its internal weapons bay, with TEBER-82 and TOLUN munitions, at Corlu, Tekirdag, July 30, 2026. (Photo via Baykar/HO)
Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter aircraft during live-fire tests from its internal weapons bay, with TEBER-82 and TOLUN munitions, at Corlu, Tekirdag, July 30, 2026. (Photo via Baykar/HO)

Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci commented on the tests, saying, "TEBER scores another bullseye! The test firing conducted with TEBER-82 from the internal weapon station of Bayraktar Kizilelma has been successfully completed. We're producing together, growing stronger together."

Munitions integration accelerates after air-to-air and supersonic missile firsts

The tests extend a rapid integration campaign.

The Kizilelma has previously completed firings with the Gokdogan air-to-air missile, TOLUN, TEBER-82 KGK and LGK-82 munitions, and has struck a target with the JET-230 supersonic missile.

The aircraft claimed a world first on Nov. 29, 2025, off Sinop, when it destroyed a jet-powered aerial target with a beyond-visual-range Gokdogan missile developed by TUBITAK SAGE, designated by Aselsan's MURAD AESA radar, becoming the first unmanned fighter aircraft to do so.

On Dec. 27, 2025, prototypes PT3 and PT5 flew what the company calls aviation's first autonomous close-formation flight by two unmanned fighters, using Baykar's autonomous fleet algorithms.

Baykar, which has self-financed the Kizilelma program, remained the world's largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) segment in 2025 with a record $2.2 billion in export volume, generating 90% of its revenue from exports.

Baykar has signed export agreements with 39 countries, 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 and 16 for the Akinci, and accounted for a quarter of Türkiye's defense and aerospace exports in 2024.

July 30, 2026 01:55 PM GMT+03:00
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