In the modern battlefield, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) can undertake a wide range of roles, from reconnaissance to attack, from logistics support to air dominance. The aircraft produced by TAI and Baykar became famous all over the world as they were among the best in their fields.
It was seen that the aircraft developed by the United Arab Emirates company EDGE Group was similar to the Baykar Bayraktar KIZILELMA İSU (Unmanned Combat Aircraft). So how good is UAE-made JENIAH ISU? Will Bayraktar be able to compete with KIZILELMA?
What are the EDGE Group JENIAH features? Can Bayraktar compete with KIZILELMA?
Bayraktar KIZILELMA stands out with its features such as high maneuverability, low radar cross-section and fully autonomous take-off and landing ability. KIZILELMA, which has a load carrying capacity of 1,500 kg, can reach an operational altitude of 30,000 feet and reach a maximum speed of 0.9 Mach.
Thanks to its AESA radar, it offers high situational awareness and can operate with low visibility against enemy defenses with its internal weapon compartments. Of course, let’s say that these are only publicly disclosed data.
Developed by EDGE Group, JENIAH also stands out with its low visibility features and ability to operate in various formations. JENIAH, which has a load carrying capacity of 480 kg, can reach a speed of 1,050 km/h and has autonomous capabilities like KIZILELMA. We see that it is designed to be suitable for strategic attack, reconnaissance and ground support missions deep into enemy defenses.
The main differences between KIZILELMA and JENIAH, which are similar in size, design and speed, lie in their carrying capacity and mission diversity. KIZILELMA’s 1,500 kg payload capacity triples JENIAH’s 480 kg capacity.
When we look at its dimensions, JENIAH’s wingspan is 6.5 meters and its length is estimated to be 8+ meters. On the other hand, Red Apple’s wingspan is 10 meters and its length is 14.7 meters. Moreover, if we take into account the fact that it has a more powerful engine, we can say that the maximum take-off weight of 8.5 tons will surpass JENIAH.
In this way, KIZILELMA can carry more weapons or other loads. In addition, the fact that it can potentially reach a higher operational altitude and have technological features such as AESA radar is very important in terms of mission flexibility and situational awareness.
When we look at it in general, we see that Bayraktar KIZILELMA is fully capable of performing Unmanned Combat Aircraft missions, and thanks to its operational capabilities, it can communicate with even 5th generation warplanes and attack and defend together. Thanks to these capabilities, it can perform the air-air and air-land missions currently undertaken by the F-16 in the future.
On the other hand, we can say that JENIAH is a UAV that has advanced capabilities and can perform strategic missions, rather than an unmanned warplane. It will not be able to fully replace warplanes even in air-land missions, let alone air-air battles.