Türkiye’s first uncrewed fighter jet, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, made aviation history by becoming the world’s first UAV to successfully fire a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile at a jet-powered target aircraft during a test off the coast of Sinop.
According to a statement from the Turkish defence company Baykar on Sunday, KIZILELMA launched the locally developed GOKDOGAN air-to-air missile, striking the high-speed jet target with pinpoint accuracy.
The missile was fired from under the wing of the uncrewed fighter jet after the target was detected and tracked using ASELSAN’s MURAD AESA radar.
This marked 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 successful engagement established KIZILELMA as the first and only uncrewed platform worldwide with verified air-to-air combat capability.
The test also featured five F-16 fighter jets from Merzifon Air Base conducting formation flights with KIZILELMA in a joint crewed-uncrewed operation, demonstrating future air combat concepts.
A Bayraktar AKINCI UAV accompanied the mission, recording the event from the air.
KIZILELMA’s low radar cross-section and advanced sensors enable it to detect enemy aircraft from long distances without being seen.
The platform integrates cutting-edge technologies such as the MURAD AESA radar, and TOYGUN targeting system and can deploy a wide range of domestically produced munitions.
In earlier tests, KIZILELMA had achieved direct hits with TOLUN and TEBER-82 munitions.
The latest air-to-air strike demonstrates its operational capability for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions, further expanding its role in Türkiye’s defence strategy.
Baykar, which has fully self-financed its UAV projects since 2003, has become a global leader in drone exports.
The company generated $1.8 billion in export revenue in 2023 and repeated the figure in 2024, with 90% of its total income from exports.
Baykar has signed export agreements for its Bayraktar TB2 UAV with 36 countries and for the Bayraktar AKINCI with 16 countries.
According to official data, the company has been the top defence and aerospace exporter in Türkiye for the last four years.
