(MENAFN) Turkey’s domestically produced uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), KIZILELMA, has made history by successfully striking an airborne target using a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile, according to reports. This milestone has drawn widespread international attention and acclaim.

As stated by reports, “KIZILELMA entered the history of world aviation as the first uncrewed combat aircraft to destroy a supersonic jet target using a BVR air-to-air missile.” The test was carried out over a range off the Black Sea coast near Sinop.

Most UAVs are traditionally designed for air-to-ground missions, but KIZILELMA has demonstrated air-to-air combat capability. “KIZILELMA became the first and only uncrewed platform to prove air-to-air combat capability,” reports noted, highlighting the integration of sensor fusion, radar systems, flight control algorithms, and domestically developed missile technology.

The UAV’s ability to operate in coordination with manned jets also attracted attention.

“Bayraktar KIZILELMA has opened a new page in air combat with UAVs,” one report said, noting that Baykar’s drones now account for 25% of Turkey’s total defense and aerospace exports in 2024.

International commentators echoed the significance. One called it a “historic precedent in aviation,” while others emphasized that until now, “no uncrewed platform in the world had the capability to fire at airborne targets,” signaling “a new era in aviation.” Analysts also stressed that the feat represents “the first recorded beyond visual range air-to-air kill by a jet-powered UAV,” marking a major advance in unmanned combat capabilities and the operationalization of sixth-generation doctrines.

Baykar confirmed the test scenario over the Black Sea, in which a supersonic target drone was tracked by KIZILELMA’s onboard AESA radar system, MURAD, developed by Turkish defense electronics company Aselsan. The UAV successfully launched the indigenous GOKDOGAN BVR missile, striking the target with precision. The flight included five F-16 jets operating in formation to demonstrate joint crewed-uncrewed operations.

“This historic success opens a new chapter in aerial warfare and is the result of full domestic engineering in Türkiye,” Baykar’s chair Selcuk Bayraktar wrote on social media, calling the achievement “a new era in aviation.”

KIZILELMA, developed under the MIUS combat aircraft program, weighs approximately six tons and can carry nearly two tons of payload. It is capable of operating for five to six hours at altitudes up to 39,000 feet (11,888 meters). First unveiled in 2022 at a Turkish aerospace and technology fair, the UAV is entirely domestically engineered.

Baykar is currently the largest UAV exporter worldwide, supplying 37 countries, with international sales accounting for 90% of its revenue. Its earlier TB2 UCAV model is in active service in 36 nations.

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