Turkiye’s Kizilelma Makes History with Successful Air-to-Air Capability Test
Turkiye’s Kizilelma writes history by becoming the first unmanned combat aircraft worldwide to successfully strike an aerial target with a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. As Turkiye’s Kızılelma writes history with this groundbreaking achievement, Baykar’s flagship platform has fundamentally transformed expectations for autonomous air combat capabilities, demonstrating that unmanned systems can now perform missions previously reserved exclusively for manned fighter aircraft.
Baykar announced Sunday that Kızılelma struck a jet-powered target aircraft using a Gökdoğan beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, marking an unprecedented milestone in global aviation. The locally developed missile was fired from under the uncrewed fighter jet’s wing after the target was detected and tracked using Aselsan’s Murad AESA radar, creating an entirely indigenous engagement chain from detection through interception.
This test represented the first time in Turkish aviation history that a national aircraft fired a domestically produced air-to-air missile guided by a national radar at an aerial target. The complete Turkish provenance of every system component aircraft, radar, and missile demonstrates the extraordinary maturity of Turkiye’s defense industrial base and eliminates foreign dependencies that could constrain operational employment during crises.
The successful engagement established Kızılelma as the first and only uncrewed platform worldwide with verified air-to-air combat capability. While several nations have developed unmanned combat aerial vehicles, none have previously demonstrated successful beyond-visual-range interception of high-speed aerial targets, making this achievement a genuine technological breakthrough rather than incremental advancement.
The engagement occurred over the Black Sea near Sinop province, providing secure testing environments away from civilian air traffic while enabling comprehensive data collection. Baykar described the test as “another first” reflecting Turkiye’s long-term aerospace vision, positioning the nation as a pioneer in autonomous air combat technology development.
Five F-16 fighter jets from Merzifon Air Base conducted formation flights with Kızılelma during the test, demonstrating future air combat concepts involving crewed-uncrewed cooperation. This joint operation showcased tactical integration where manned platforms and autonomous systems operate collaboratively, with human pilots maintaining strategic oversight while unmanned assets execute high-risk missions.
A Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle accompanied the mission, recording the engagement from the air and providing multiple perspectives for post-test analysis. This documentation approach ensures comprehensive technical data collection while demonstrating Baykar’s ability to coordinate complex multi-platform operations involving various unmanned systems simultaneously.
Kızılelma’s low radar cross-section combined with advanced sensors enable detecting enemy aircraft from long distances without being observed. The platform integrates cutting-edge technologies including the Murad AESA radar and Toygun targeting system, creating comprehensive situational awareness that rivals or exceeds many manned fighter capabilities while maintaining stealth characteristics.
The platform can deploy a wide range of domestically produced munitions beyond air-to-air missiles. Earlier tests achieved direct hits with TOLUN and TEBER-82 guided bombs, demonstrating precision ground strike capabilities. This air-to-air success confirms operational capability across both air-to-ground and air-to-air mission profiles, establishing Kızılelma as a genuine multirole combat platform.
The successful BVR engagement followed earlier tests this month including one where Kızılelma locked onto a target F-16 aircraft. This progressive testing approach from radar tracking through simulated engagements to actual missile firing reflects methodical validation ensuring system reliability before operational deployment.
Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s chairman and chief technology officer, declared the achievement opened “doors to a new era in aviation history.” He emphasized that Turkiye became the first country worldwide achieving unmanned BVR air-to-air kills, expressing gratitude that Turkish engineers accomplished this historic milestone.
Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar described the event as a turning point, noting that completing every link in the air-to-air engagement chain using fully domestic capabilities represented extraordinary national achievement. He stressed this pride belongs to the entire Turkish nation, reflecting collective accomplishment rather than merely corporate success.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır called the success a global first, noting Turkiye’s national technology capacity had reached levels capable of “rewriting the rules of air superiority.” This statement reflects governmental recognition that autonomous air combat capabilities fundamentally alter strategic calculations, potentially neutralizing adversaries’ numerical advantages in manned fighters.
The demonstrated air-to-air capability significantly expands Kızılelma’s role within Turkiye’s defense strategy. The platform can now conduct defensive counter-air missions, escort strike packages, suppress enemy air defenses through fighter engagement, and patrol contested airspace all without risking pilot lives while maintaining operational tempo unachievable with manned aircraft constrained by human endurance limitations.
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This achievement positions Turkiye at the forefront of unmanned combat aircraft development, ahead of American, Chinese, European, and Russian programs despite those nations’ substantially larger defense budgets. The successful BVR engagement demonstrates that focused investment in specific capability areas can yield world-leading results, challenging assumptions that only superpowers can pioneer revolutionary military technologies.
Kızılelma’s proven air-to-air capability likely represents initial operational capability rather than final system maturity. Future developments may incorporate enhanced artificial intelligence for autonomous target prioritization, integration with longer-range air-to-air missiles, and network-centric operations enabling multiple Kızılelma platforms coordinating collaboratively against enemy fighter formations without human intervention beyond high-level mission authorization.
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