Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of Baykar, hosted the NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center. Bayraktar noted that KIZILELMA and unmanned aerial vehicles will fundamentally transform future combat aviation, stating: “Unmanned combat aircraft may replace all manned aircraft within 30 years.”
NATO Delegation Visits Baykar’s National Technology Center
Baykar hosted the delegation led by TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Marcos Perestrello De Vasconcellos at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center. A comprehensive presentation was delivered regarding the company’s defense technologies, unmanned systems, and development processes.
Selçuk Bayraktar informed the delegation about Baykar’s work in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly the capabilities of the KIZILELMA platform.
Emphasis on KIZILELMA and Unmanned Combat Aircraft
Speaking during the visit, Selçuk Bayraktar stated that KIZILELMA does not only perform the missions of existing fighter aircraft, but also offers lower costs and different operational advantages compared to manned platforms.
Bayraktar emphasized that unmanned systems are ushering in a new era in combat aviation, making the following assessment:
“A Transformation That Could Replace Manned Systems”
Bayraktar reminded that there are approximately 15,000 combat aircraft in the world, stating that unmanned combat aircraft could eventually replace these fleets in the long term. He emphasized that KIZILELMA can perform all tasks similar to a manned aircraft, noting that removing the human element provides operational flexibility.
“The Nature of Warfare Is Changing”
Bayraktar highlighted that transformations in military technology are changing existing doctrines, stating that armies are mostly prepared based on past conflicts, while future warfare environments will be different.
He noted that unmanned systems are a “game-changer” due to their low-cost and high-volume production capabilities, adding that these systems can be rapidly developed thanks to their software-based structure.
Air Defense Systems and the New Threat Balance
Bayraktar stated that defense systems developed against unmanned aerial vehicles present economic challenges, noting that countering low-cost, high-intensity attack capabilities is becoming increasingly expensive.
He emphasized that this situation creates a new balance problem in modern warfare, stating that it is not possible for existing systems to counter all threats.
“The Future Is Hard to Predict, But the Direction Is Clear”
In his assessment of future warfare technologies, Bayraktar said that 5–10 year projections are more predictable, but 30-year horizons are significantly more uncertain.
He concluded that unmanned systems will become widespread across all dimensions and may eventually replace manned fighter aircraft, marking a fundamental transformation in combat aviation.
