A brand-new era has begun in the history of global military aviation!
For the first time in the world, an unmanned combat aircraft identified its target with its own radar and struck it with its own air-to-air missile!
In this historic test, Türkiye’s unmanned combat aircraft KIZILELMA, developed by Baykar, struck a target designated by the MURAD AESA radar developed by Aselsan, using the GÖKDOĞAN beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE — with pinpoint accuracy.
Thus, KIZILELMA became the first and only platform in the world to achieve this capability, ushering in a new era in military aviation.
For the historic test, five F-16 fighter jets took off from Merzifon 5th Main Jet Base and met with KIZILELMA over Sinop. Flying in formation with the F-16s, KIZILELMA conducted manned–unmanned teaming (MUM-T), demonstrating the air combat concept of the future.
According to the scenario, a high-speed jet-powered target drone was launched. It was detected and tracked by the MURAD AESA radar integrated into KIZILELMA and developed by Aselsan. After the radar precisely designated the target, KIZILELMA fired the GÖKDOĞAN Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile, developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, from under its wing. The domestically produced missile scored a direct hit on the jet-powered target aircraft.
With this test, KIZILELMA’s air-to-air attack capability was also confirmed. For the first time in Turkish aviation history, a nationally developed air-to-air missile was fired from a national aircraft toward an airborne target, guided by a national radar. Thus, every link in the air-to-air mission chain was executed entirely with national capabilities.
