Baykar’s Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s first unmanned combat aircraft, has successfully completed a critical test flight demonstrating smart fleet autonomy. During the test, two unmanned combat aircraft flew in close formation fully autonomously, without human intervention.
According to Baykar, the KIZILELMA program continues to advance through the integration of new operational capabilities. The test was conducted at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, where two different KIZILELMA prototypes took off simultaneously and executed a coordinated mission.
Autonomous Close-Formation Flight Successfully Demonstrated
The test involved KIZILELMA’s third prototype (PT3) and fifth prototype (PT5), which took off sequentially and maneuvered in close formation. Using smart fleet autonomy algorithms developed by Baykar engineers, the aircraft continuously analyzed each other’s position, speed, and maneuvers, enabling synchronized flight with what the company describes as an “autonomous combat pilot.”
This capability allows multiple unmanned platforms to autonomously manage critical functions such as formation protection, collision avoidance, and task sharing—without reliance on a central operator. The development is seen as a key step toward transferring complex air missions traditionally performed by manned fighter aircraft to unmanned, network-centric systems.
Combat Air Patrol Mission Tested
The flight test also included a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) scenario, one of the core missions in modern air combat. During the test, the KIZILELMA prototypes conducted coordinated patrol flights along a predefined route using fleet autonomy software. The results demonstrated that air defense and interdiction missions can be executed by unmanned combat aircraft operating in formation.
Baykar said the autonomous systems and joint operational performance of the aircraft were closely monitored throughout the test. Developed entirely with the company’s own resources, KIZILELMA is expected to further expand its multi-platform coordination capabilities through its smart fleet autonomy architecture.
First Beyond-Visual-Range Kill by an Unmanned Combat Aircraft
In a separate milestone achieved on November 29, Bayraktar KIZILELMA conducted a successful beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagement during a test flight off the coast of Sinop. An air target detected and tracked by the **ASELSAN-developed **MURAD AESA radar was destroyed by a GÖKDOĞAN air-to-air missile developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE.
With this test, KIZILELMA became the first unmanned combat aircraft in history to shoot down a jet-powered aerial target using a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
“A World First,” Baykar Executives Say
Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar described the close-formation flight as a historic achievement, calling it “a world first” in unmanned aviation.
Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar said the test marked a turning point in air combat concepts, emphasizing an approach focused on innovation rather than imitation.
