Bayraktar Kızılelma, developed by Baykar with company resources, made its first flight last month. Today, it once again took off and rose above the clouds for system tests. Here are those moments…
Bayraktar Kızılelma made its longest flight above the clouds!
By breaking its own record in 2022, Turkey managed to exceed the level of 4 billion dollars in the field of defense industry. Of course, the role of Baykar, which has reached the level of 1 billion dollars alone thanks to the sale of Bayraktar TB2, is huge. Moreover, the company continues to develop projects with its own resources. Finally, today, Bayraktar Kızılelma made its second flight.
When we look at the first data shared for Bayraktar Kızılelma, we see that a very promising prototype emerges. This aircraft will bring with it the artificial intelligence features of Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akıncı, as well as some of the capabilities we saw in the F-16 and F-35.
Can Bayraktar Kızılelma be used against Turkey?
If Bayraktar Kızılelma is exported abroad after it enters mass production, can it be used against Turkey?
It is planned that the first models to be included in the inventory will accelerate to subsonic, that is, 800+km. The version that hits the track today is one of them. In the next period, it is expected to develop 2 different options as transonic (1000+ km/h) and supersonic (1200+ km/h). We may even see a twin-engine version.
In addition, it will be able to land and take off on the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, where the TB3s will also be used, that it will have the AESA radar used in the F-16s, and that it will have a low radar appearance by carrying ammunition in the fuselage like the F-35 (also thanks to the materials and paint used in its construction). Let’s say too.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA will be able to communicate with new generation warplanes (F-35 and MMU/TFX), unmanned aerial vehicles (such as TB2- Akıncı, Anka and AKSUNGUR) and intelligence units (AWACS aircraft). Therefore, he will be able to move and hit the targets they see as if he sees them himself.
Although the missions it will undertake in the beginning are in the form of air-land, there will also be versions with air-air missions in the future. Of course, it would be a dream to expect the first versions to do dog fights with F-16s. But in the 2030s, it will do so by evolving into the 6th generation jet fighter.
On the engine side, it is known that Baykar has made various agreements with Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress (for AI-322F Turbofan Engine and AI-25TLT Turbofan Engine). Although the Ukraine-Russia war continues, we know that it has already delivered more than 20 engines and this process continues without any interruption.
This domestic unmanned fighter aircraft will appear with at least 3 prototypes with different capabilities, A, B and C, just like Akıncı. AI-25TLT (16.5 kN) and AI-322F (41 kN), which are AI-25 variants produced by Ivchenko, will be used in these vehicles.
It is stated that 4 prototypes will be produced in total. These will be 1 AI-25TLT Red Apple-A, 1 AI-322F Red Apple-B and 2 AI-322F Red Apple-C. In addition, there are some studies in the direction of returning to the domestic engine.
The TEI-TF6000 turbofan engine, produced by TEI and intended for use in Hürjet, is expected to be tested with Kizilelma, first with a thrust of 6,000 lbf (26.5 kN) and then with a thrust of 10,000 lbf (44.5 kN).
Bayraktar Kizilelma properties
Bayraktar Kizil Apple features:
- Flight time/ Airtime: 5 hours
- Maximum take-off weight: 6 tons
- operational altitude: 35 thousand feet
- Mission radius: 500 NM (nautical miles) / 900+ km
- Cruising speed: Mach 0.6 (may increase to Mach 0.8+ and Mach 1.2+ in the future)
- Payload capacity: 1500 kg (with internal weapon stations)
- High maneuverability
- Automatic take-off and landing
- Low radar signature
- SATCOM communication
- Take off from short-runway aircraft carriers
- Compatible with AESA radar
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