Turkey’s investments in the defense industry continue at full speed. Finally, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, an unmanned warplane developed by Baykar with its own resources, successfully passed the High Altitude System Identification Test. Here are the details…
Bayraktar KIZILELMA successfully passed the high altitude system identification test
Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Turkey’s first unmanned fighter aircraft, whose development tests continue, has successfully completed the High Altitude System Identification Test. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which took off from AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdağ’s Çorlu district on Thursday, June 15, completed another important stage in the test carried out above 31,000 feet.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA and Bayraktar AKINCI broke new ground in TEKNOFEST 2023 after the first close arm flight carried out in the test held in Çorlu on April 24, 2023, which was a first in the history of world aviation. Breathtaking unmanned fighter aircraft KIZILELMA and offensive unmanned aerial vehicle AKINCI performed the same flight in public many times in the skies of Istanbul.
In addition to this important flight, other firsts were experienced at TEKNOFEST, the world’s largest aviation, space and technology festival, held at Atatürk Airport between April 27 and May 1, 2023. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, again breaking new ground, made several close arm flights with the manned jet plane SoloTürk at a public air show. Bayraktar KIZILELMA’s flights, which carried out close arm flights with Bayraktar AKINCI and SOLOTÜRK every day during TEKNOFEST 2023, received great acclaim.
On May 1, the last day of TEKNOFEST 2023, Turkish Stars, consisting of unmanned fighter jet Bayraktar KIZILELMA, F-16 fighter jet SOLOTÜRK and F-5 jet planes, performed an unprecedented show this time, performing a formation flight with the fleet concept for the first time. he performed. These flight concepts, which can be described as the dawn of a new era in the history of world aviation, will also guide the air combat of the future.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Turkey’s first unmanned fighter aircraft, performed arm flight with Solo Türk and Turkish Stars, breaking new ground in the world and presenting a section of the future air combat.
Mass production starts in 2024
The development and production activities of Bayraktar KIZILELMA, whose two prototypes have been produced successfully so far, continue. It is planned to start mass production of the national unmanned warplane in 2024. Bayraktar KIZILELMA and Bayraktar TB3 SİHA took their place on the flight deck of the TCG Anadolu, which will be the world’s first SİHA ship, at the inventory acceptance ceremony held on April 10.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA Unmanned Fighter Aircraft, the second prototype of which was produced at the ceremony, is expected to start flight tests from TCG Anadolu ship in 2025. TCG Anadolu Ship, Bayraktar KIZILELMA and Bayraktar TB3 SİHA were opened to the visit of citizens at Istanbul Sarayburnu Port and Izmir Alsancak Port. In this context, more than one hundred thousand of our citizens visited the TCG Anadolu ship, where Bayraktar KIZILELMA and Bayraktar TB3 SİHA are on the flight deck.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA project, which Baykar set out with 100% equity capital, started in 2021. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, with the tail number of TC-ÖZB, which came off the production line on November 14, 2022, was transferred to AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu. After successfully completing the ground tests here, it made its first flight on 14 December 2022. Bayraktar KIZILELMA met with the sky in a record time like a year. During the month of April, it successfully completed the flight and system identification tests planned as part of the Flight Test Campaign.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Turkey’s first unmanned fighter aircraft, will perform air-to-air combat with its artificial intelligence capability along with air-ground missions. Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned fighter aircraft will be a power multiplier for Turkey with its low visibility thanks to its low radar cross section. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which will be a platform that will revolutionize the battlefield with its take-off and landing capability from short-runway ships, will take on an important role in overseas missions thanks to this capability and perform strategic tasks in the protection of the Blue Homeland.
Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which has a take-off weight of 8.5 tons and a payload capacity of 1500 kg, will also have high situational awareness with the national AESA radar. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which will use all nationally developed ammunition, will be able to operate with smart fleet autonomy.
Baykar, as a result of a competitive process, left its American, European and Chinese competitors behind and started 2023 with the export contract for Bayraktar TB2 of 370 million dollars, with the agreement signed with the Kuwait Ministry of Defense. Finally, with the export to Romania, Bayraktar TB2 SİHAs entered the inventory of 4 NATO member countries and 2 EU member countries.
Export to 30 countries
Baykar, which has been carrying out all its projects with its own resources from the beginning to the present, has obtained 75% of all its revenues from exports since the beginning of the UAV R&D process in 2003. In 2021, it became the export leader of the defense and aerospace industry, according to the data of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). Baykar, whose export rate was 99.3% in the contracts signed in 2022, made exports of 1.18 billion dollars. Baykar, which is the biggest exporter of the defense and aerospace industry, has a turnover of 1.4 billion dollars in 2022. Export agreements have been signed with 30 countries for Bayraktar TB2 SİHA and with 6 countries for Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA.