On April 15, a high-ranking official from the developing company announced that Türkiye’s Bayraktar Kizilelma, an unmanned fighter jet, completed its fourth test, the System Identification Test. Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s chairperson and CTO, shared a video update on Twitter.
The Kizilelma drone fighter jet, which completed its maiden flight in December 2022, will significantly enhance the capabilities of slow-moving reconnaissance and missile-carrying drones. It can take off and land on short-runway aircraft carriers, including Türkiye’s flagship landing helicopter dock amphibious assault vessel TCG Anadolu, and operate autonomously or as a wingman’s piloted aircraft.
The uncrewed fighter jet is expected to perform various military actions, such as strategic offensives, close air support, missile offensives, suppression of enemy air defenses, and destruction of enemy air defenses. It has a takeoff weight of 8.5 tons and a payload capacity of 1,500 kg, equipped with domestically developed ammunition.