National Unmanned Combat Aircraft KIZILELMA Locked Onto F-16
Bayraktar KIZILELMA achieved a direct hit in a simulated launch using the GÖKDOĞAN air-to-air missile, locking onto the target with the MURAD AESA radar during tests conducted with Turkish Air Force F-16s. One of Turkey’s most critical milestones in unmanned air combat has been successfully surpassed.
Turkey’s first unmanned combat aircraft, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, successfully passed another critical stage in its air-to-air combat capability. In a comprehensive test conducted with two F‑16s of the Turkish Air Force, KIZILELMA locked onto the target F‑16 with the MURAD AESA radar, produced by ASELSAN, and achieved a direct hit in a simulated launch using the national air-to-air missile GÖKDOĞAN, developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE.
Developed nationally with Baykar’s own resources, KIZILELMA took off from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Tekirdağ Çorlu and, during a mission flight lasting approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, performed formation flying with manned combat aircraft and successfully completed radar and weapons integration tests. With this flight, KIZILELMA’s total test flight time exceeded 55 hours.
Joint Flight and Target Scenario with F‑16
Two F‑16s of the Turkish Air Force participated in the test.
One F‑16 conducted close formation flying with KIZILELMA, demonstrating the platform’s operational compatibility with manned aircraft.
The other F‑16 acted as the “target aircraft” in the scenario.
KIZILELMA detected and locked onto the target F‑16 at a distance of 30 miles using the MURAD AESA radar and performed a simulated BVR (beyond-visual-range) launch electronically with the GÖKDOĞAN missile carried under its wing. The simulation showed that the F‑16 target, known for its high maneuverability, was effectively neutralized with a direct hit.
Critical Data Link Test Successfully Verified
One of the most important stages of the test was the data communication between KIZILELMA, the MURAD AESA radar, and the GÖKDOĞAN missile.
Once the aircraft locked onto the target, instantaneous target, position, and velocity data provided by the radar were continuously transmitted to the GÖKDOĞAN missile. The successful verification of this data link is considered one of the most critical steps toward ensuring KIZILELMA’s BVR engagement capability in real air combat.
Three Challenging Scenarios Completed Simultaneously
During the same flight, three different test scenarios were successfully executed simultaneously:
- Manned-unmanned formation flying,
- Aerodynamic/avionics compatibility test with GÖKDOĞAN munitions,
- Detection, tracking, and lock performance of the MURAD AESA radar.
