Baykar Targets First Serial Deliveries of KIZILELMA Combat Drone This Year

(MENAFN) Turkish defense manufacturer Baykar plans to begin the first serial deliveries of its Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft within this year, according to statements from the company’s CEO.

Speaking during the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul, CEO Haluk Bayraktar said the KIZILELMA program is currently in an intensive phase of flight testing as it transitions toward mass production.

He stated that the company is aiming to deliver the first production units by the end of the year.

Bayraktar also highlighted the broader development of Türkiye’s defense sector, describing significant growth over the past two decades. He noted that the country’s defense industry has expanded from a small number of firms in the early 2000s to thousands of companies today working across the sector.

He further pointed to the role of SAHA Istanbul, which was founded in 2015 to support localization in defense and aerospace production under Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative. According to his remarks, the cluster has grown substantially and now includes more than 1,300 members and over 30 universities.

Bayraktar also said Turkish defense exports have increased significantly, rising from hundreds of millions of dollars in the early years to over $10 billion in the previous year, with expectations of further growth in the coming period.

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