Turkey's Kizilelma Creates Aviation History with Groundbreaking Test
In a landmark achievement for global combat aviation, Turkey's unmanned fighter aircraft Kizilelma has scripted history by becoming the world's first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) to successfully target and destroy a jet-powered aerial drone using a radar-guided air-to-air missile. This revolutionary test marks a significant breakthrough in autonomous warfare capabilities.
The Historic Test: Details and Specifications
The groundbreaking test occurred on November 30, 2025, when the Kizilelma aircraft, developed by private Turkish defense company Baykar, accurately targeted and struck a jet-powered drone using the indigenous Gokdogan missile. The test was conducted in the Sinop firing area under the guidance of radar information, with the unmanned jet successfully completing the complex maneuver.
What makes this achievement particularly remarkable is that the Kizilelma flew alongside five F-15 fighter jets from Merzifon's 5th Main Jet Base during the test. The launched Gokdogan missile directly hit the target drone, demonstrating unprecedented precision and coordination capabilities for an unmanned platform.
The aircraft features Aselsan's Murad AESA radar system paired with the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air Gokdogan missile. This combination enabled what defense analysts are calling the first fully radar-to-missile engagement cycle from an unmanned aerial vehicle, marking a technological milestone in autonomous combat systems.
Technical Capabilities and Future Implications
The Bayraktar Kizilelma represents the cutting edge of unmanned combat technology. Developed as part of the Turkish Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi (MIUS) project, it is a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable aircraft designed for multiple combat roles. Currently, six prototypes of this multirole stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle have been built.
Baykar, the company behind this innovation, specializes in UAVs, C4I systems, and artificial intelligence technologies. In a statement on the Turkish social media platform NSocial, the company emphasized the historical significance: "For the first time in the world, an unmanned combat aircraft struck its target with a BVR air-to-air missile."
The Kizilelma platform has two planned variants - the Kizilelma B and Kizilelma C, with the latter intended to be supersonic and feature a twin-engined configuration. Alongside the TAI Anka-3, it stands as one of the two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAVs currently in development.
This successful test not only demonstrates Turkey's growing prowess in defense technology but also signals a paradigm shift in aerial combat, where unmanned systems are increasingly capable of performing complex air-to-air engagements that were previously exclusive to manned fighter aircraft.
