SİHA KIZILELMA (Bayraktar Kizilelma) is a jet-powered, low-observable, carrier-capable unmanned combat aircraft developed by the Turkish defense company Baykar. The project is the first platform of Baykar’s MIUS (Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi – Unmanned Combat Aircraft System) program. Concept studies started in the mid-2010s, and the official name “Kizilelma” was announced in 2022.
KIZILELMA is classified as a single-engine, multi-role unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV) designed for air-to-air combat, deep strike missions, naval air operations and suppression of enemy air defenses.
Developer and Project History
Baykar, known for its TB2 and Akıncı armed drones, began internal work on a jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft concept around 2013. The project was publicly presented under the MIUS label in 2021. In the same period, Baykar signed agreements with Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress for AI-25TLT and later AI-322F turbofan engines.
The official name Bayraktar Kizilelma was revealed in March 2022, and the first prototype entered the assembly line in the same year. KIZILELMA made its first flight on 14 December 2022, placing Türkiye among the few countries capable of developing a jet-powered unmanned fighter aircraft. After 2024, the flight of the production-representative prototype marked the transition towards serial production, with a goal of producing more than ten aircraft by around 2026.
Airframe Design and General Features
SİHA KIZILELMA’s airframe is designed with low radar cross-section (low-RCS) in mind. It uses a delta wing and canard configuration; twin vertical tails provide control authority and maneuverability, while the fuselage lines are shaped to reduce radar reflections.
According to Baykar and other official sources, the main design features of KIZILELMA can be summarized as:
- Aircraft type: jet-powered, unmanned, multi-role combat aircraft (UCAV)
- Maximum take-off weight: roughly 8.5 tons (initial prototypes in the 6–8.5 ton range)
- Payload capacity: about 1.5 tons
- Operational altitude: approximately 25,000–35,000 ft
- Endurance: 3+ hours (depending on profile)
- Launch and recovery: suitable for short runways and amphibious assault ships such as TCG Anadolu
- Weapon stations: internal weapon bays plus under-wing hardpoints
The aircraft is intended to offer satellite control, line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight command links, and advanced autonomous functions such as automatic take-off, landing and taxi.
Engine and Speed Profile
Early KIZILELMA prototypes use Ukrainian AI-25TLT and AI-322F turbofan engines. The program foresees at least three main variants:
- Kizilelma-A: high-subsonic variant (roughly Mach 0.6–0.8)
- Kizilelma-B: single-engine supersonic variant
- Kizilelma-C: twin-engine supersonic variant
In later stages, Türkiye aims to reduce dependence on foreign powerplants by integrating domestic turbofan engines into the KIZILELMA family.
Avionics and the MURAD AESA Radar
The avionics architecture of Bayraktar Kizilelma is built around an AI-assisted mission computer, advanced navigation and mission-management systems. A key component is the MURAD AESA radar developed by ASELSAN and integrated into the nose section.
MURAD is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed to provide:
- Multi-target tracking in air-to-air and air-to-ground roles,
- Long-range target detection,
- Wide-area airspace search and situational awareness.
KIZILELMA is also expected to be equipped with an electro-optical targeting system (TOYGUN EOTS), IRST (infra-red search and track) sensors, a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and missile warning systems, giving the aircraft a sensor suite similar in spirit to modern manned fighters.
Weapon Systems
SİHA KIZILELMA is designed to carry various types of munitions in its internal weapon bays and on under-wing pylons. The publicly known and planned weapon families include:
- Air-to-air missiles
- GOKDOGAN: a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile developed by TÜBİTAK-SAGE, with an active radar seeker and a range reported in the 65+ km class.
- BOZDOĞAN: a short-range air-to-air missile planned for future integration.
- Air-to-ground and deep-strike munitions
- Guided bombs, stand-off cruise missiles and mini smart munitions, including anti-ship and land-attack weapons.
Thanks to this payload flexibility, KIZILELMA can be used in air-to-air combat, deep strike, SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) and precision strikes against naval and land targets, making it a truly multi-role unmanned combat aircraft.
GOKDOGAN Test and BVR Air-to-Air Capability
On 30 November 2025, during a live-fire test over the Black Sea near the Sinop firing range, Bayraktar Kizilelma detected a jet-powered target drone with the MURAD AESA radar and destroyed it with the TÜBİTAK-SAGE GOKDOGAN BVR air-to-air missile.
In this engagement:
- Target detection and tracking were performed by the indigenous AESA radar,
- Engagement logic and fire-control were handled by the unmanned fighter’s mission computer,
- Target destruction was achieved with the indigenous GOKDOGAN air-to-air missile.
This made KIZILELMA the first unmanned fighter aircraft in the world to use its own AESA radar to guide a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile against a jet-powered airborne target. Analysts note that this test moved KIZILELMA beyond the traditional “air-to-ground drone” category and into the class of unmanned aircraft that can assume an independent role in air-to-air combat.
Operational Use and Potential
The first planned operators of Bayraktar Kizilelma are expected to be the Turkish Air Force and Turkish Naval Forces. The aircraft is planned to serve:
- As a loyal wingman alongside manned fighters such as the F-16 and, in the future, the national fighter KAAN,
- As a core element of unmanned air wings operating from TCG Anadolu,
- As a forward asset in long-range air patrols and high-risk airspace.
In later phases, KIZILELMA is viewed as a potential export product for friendly countries seeking advanced unmanned combat aircraft. Within Türkiye’s broader defense strategy, the program is seen as a key step towards technological independence and a symbol of the country’s progress in next-generation airpower.