Bayraktar KIZILELMA Passes New Test Successfully: The Fighter Jet of the Future Takes to the Skies
Bayraktar KIZILELMA, the pride of Turkish defence industry in the skies, has successfully completed another critical test. The unmanned fighter aircraft passed the “AB-Launched Aerodynamic System Identification Test,” and breathtaking footage from the test was shared with the public via social media by Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer, Selçuk Bayraktar.
KIZILELMA Is Shaping the Air Power of the Future
The Bayraktar KIZILELMA project, developed by Baykar with 100% equity capital, was launched in 2021. The prototype with tail number TC-ÖZB rolled off the production line on 14 November 2022 and was quickly transferred to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Centre. Following the rapid completion of ground tests, it made its maiden flight on 14 December 2022, marking a new chapter in Turkish aviation history.
The fact that KIZILELMA took to the skies in as little as one year is seen as a clear indicator of the project’s advanced engineering and production capabilities.
A World First: Formation Flight with a Jet
During TEKNOFEST 2023, Bayraktar KIZILELMA achieved a first in global aviation history. After conducting formation flights with the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV, it flew in formation over Istanbul on 1 May 2023 with the F-16 fighter jet SOLOTÜRK and the F-5 jets of the Turkish Stars aerobatic team. This flight is recorded as a historic development not only for Turkey but also for global defence aviation.
Global Leadership with Record-Breaking Exports
Baykar funds all its projects entirely with its own resources. Since beginning UAV R&D in 2003, the company has earned 83% of its income from exports. In 2023, Baykar achieved $1.8 billion in exports, ranking among Turkey’s top 10 exporters. Repeating this success in 2024, Baykar again earned 90% of its revenues from overseas sales, solidifying its global strength in the defence industry.
According to the Defence Industry Agency and the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Baykar was the top defence and aerospace exporter in 2021, 2022, and 2023. It accounted for one-third of the sector’s exports in 2023 and one-quarter in 2024, positioning Turkey at the forefront of the global UCAV market.
Exports to 45 Countries with Bayraktar TB2 and AKINCI
As the world’s largest producer of unmanned aerial vehicles, Baykar has signed export agreements with 34 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and with 11 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV. As a result, Turkish defence industry products are actively deployed in strategically critical regions around the world.
