Turkish defense giant Baykar has begun mass production of the Kizilelma combat jet drone. It is the world’s first UAV of its class, reaching this stage earlier than similar projects in the US and Israel.
Turkish defense giant Baykar has begun mass production of the Kizilelma combat jet drone. It is the world’s first UAV of its class, reaching this stage earlier than similar projects in the US and Israel.
As defense-industry reports, the drone has been developed within the MIUS (Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi) program since the 2010s. One of the key features of the Kizilelma is the ability to take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, in particular, the TCG Anadolu landing ship. It is known that the fourth prototype was equipped with AI-322 °F jet engines produced by the Ukrainian state enterprise Ivchenko-Progress. The first samples flew with modified AI-25TLT.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Ukrainian engines will be installed on serial drones. Baykar is also studying alternative power plants. At the same time, Kizilelma itself is already preparing for production in Ukraine, in particular, at a new plant that the company is building on the territory of the state. It was previously reported that its construction was to be completed in early 2025.
The drone’s armament is still kept secret, but it is known that Kizilelma will receive short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles. The integration of Turkish Roketsan Cirit high-precision missiles, an analogue of the American APKWS, which could be effective against the Iranian Shahed, is also being considered.
This is a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles with high speed, low visibility and the ability to operate from sea platforms. The project is an important milestone for Baykar, which has gained global recognition with the Bayraktar TB2. The first serial Kizilelma is expected to be delivered to customers in 2026.
We previously wrote about how the Turkish company Baykar introduced a new modification of the Bayraktar TB2 with a turbofan engine and «advanced artificial intelligence systems» that provide resistance to electronic warfare and the ability to perform autonomous takeoff and landing.
