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Türkiye's first unmanned fighter aircraft, Bayraktar Kizilelma, successfully completed its first live-fire test, scoring direct hits with TOLUN and TEBER-82 munitions, the manufacturer said.
Bayraktar Kizilelma added another flight test proving its combat capabilities, Baykar said in a statement. The test process of the national unmanned fighter aircraft is progressing successfully in line with the planned schedule.
The third prototype, PT-3, conducted two separate sorties at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdag's Corlu district.
In the first flight, Bayraktar Kizilelma fired the TOLUN munition developed by Aselsan and struck the target with complete accuracy, Baykar said.
In the second flight, the unmanned combat aircraft took off equipped with the Roketsan-produced TEBER-82 Winged Guidance Kit and successfully destroyed that target as well.
Significant changes were made to the production prototype thanks to the experience gained from the first prototypes, Baykar said.
In addition to structural improvements, enhancements were made to the avionics architecture.
A flight was carried out with the afterburning engine alternative, whose integration was successfully completed.
With its powerful new engine, Bayraktar Kizilelma will approach the speed of sound, and thanks to aerodynamic improvements, it will be able to maneuver much better at high speeds, Baykar said.
With the high situational awareness it gains through its AESA radar, the company said it will be able to carry out the most challenging missions.
The Bayraktar Kizilelma project launched in 2021 with Baykar's own resources.
The aircraft with tail number TC-OZB rolled off the production line on Nov. 14, 2022, before being transferred to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Corlu.
After completing ground tests, it performed its maiden flight on Dec. 14, 2022. Bayraktar Kizilelma took to the skies in a record time of about one year.
While test activities are ongoing, serial production has also begun, and Bayraktar Kizilelma is targeted to enter the inventory in 2026, Baykar said.
Baykar has carried out all projects with its own resources, and since the start of its unmanned aerial vehicle research and development process in 2003, 83% of its revenues have come from exports, the company said.
In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among the top 10 companies across all sectors in Türkiye with the highest export volume.
In 2024, it again reached $1.8 billion in exports, with 90% of its revenues derived from exports.
According to data from the Defense Industry Agency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Baykar was the export leader in the defense and aerospace sector in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
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In 2023, Baykar alone accounted for one-third of the sector's exports, and in 2024, it realized one-quarter of the defense and aerospace sector's total exports, positioning Türkiye as the global leader in the unmanned aerial vehicle export market.
Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 36 countries, including 35 for the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle and 15 for the Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
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