ASELSAN’s MURAD 100-A Radar Flies on Bayraktar KIZILELMA
ASELSAN’s MURAD 100-A AESA Fire Control Radar has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing its first flight on the Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aerial vehicle. This groundbreaking integration marks a new era in aerial warfare capabilities, as the MURAD 100-A AESA Fire Control Radar brings cutting-edge technology to Turkiye’s indigenous drone fleet, establishing the nation as a leader in advanced military aviation systems.
Advanced AESA Architecture
The MURAD 100-A features state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) architecture that revolutionizes aerial combat capabilities. This sophisticated technology provides agile electronic beam steering, allowing the radar to rapidly switch between multiple targets without mechanical movement. The system excels in multi-target detection and tracking, simultaneously monitoring numerous threats across the battlefield while maintaining exceptional accuracy and reliability in both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagement scenarios.
Beyond-Visual-Range Capabilities
Combining engagement capabilities with beyond-visual-range missile guidance, the MURAD 100-A represents a critical advancement for modern aerial combat operations. This integration enhances the effectiveness of both manned and unmanned aircraft, enabling pilots and operators to engage threats from safe distances. The radar’s ability to guide precision weapons while maintaining situational awareness makes it an indispensable tool for contemporary military operations, providing tactical advantages that can determine mission success.
Successful Integration History
The MURAD 100-A’s development journey showcases ASELSAN’s commitment to excellence and iterative testing. Integration with the Bayraktar AKINCI platform was completed in 2024, marking the first major milestone for this advanced system. The inaugural flight on AKINCI occurred in February 2025, followed by multiple comprehensive test flights that systematically validated the radar’s diverse functions. These rigorous evaluations confirmed the system’s performance parameters and operational readiness across various flight conditions.
KIZILELMA Integration Opens
With integration on the Bayraktar KIZILELMA now complete, the MURAD 100-A demonstrates truly game-changing capabilities for unmanned combat operations. The radar enables simultaneous multi-target detection, tracking, and missile guidance, allowing a single platform to engage multiple adversaries efficiently. The successful first flight confirms the system’s remarkable adaptability to different aerial platforms and validates its readiness for operational deployment across Turkiye’s expanding unmanned aerial vehicle fleet.
Cutting-Edge Technology
Designed specifically for modern aerial warfare demands, the MURAD 100-A combines multiple advanced technologies into a cohesive, powerful system. The radar features wide frequency coverage that ensures operational flexibility across diverse electromagnetic environments. Its distinguished detection performance enables operators to identify threats at extended ranges, providing crucial early warning capabilities. The incorporation of Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based power amplification delivers superior efficiency and reliability compared to traditional technologies.
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Ensures Precision and Adaptability
The MURAD 100-A employs digital beam forming at the sub-array level, a sophisticated approach that maximizes radar performance while minimizing size and weight constraints. This technology allows for unprecedented flexibility in beam shaping and direction, adapting instantly to evolving tactical situations. Time-interleaved operation further enhances the system’s capabilities, ensuring precise and reliable performance whether engaging aerial targets or conducting ground surveillance and strike missions.
The successful integration of ASELSAN’s MURAD 100-A AESA Fire Control Radar on both AKINCI and KIZILELMA platforms represents a strategic leap forward for Turkiye’s defense industry. This achievement demonstrates the nation’s growing technological independence and ability to develop world-class military systems domestically. As these platforms enter operational service, they will provide Turkish forces with capabilities previously available only to a handful of nations, fundamentally altering regional military dynamics and establishing new benchmarks for unmanned combat aerial vehicle performance in contemporary warfare scenarios.Retry
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