Baykar’s first unmanned fighter aircraft to enter serial production, the Bayraktar Kızılelma (S1), successfully completed its maiden flight following the 2025 test campaign. The platform is planned to enter the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in the first quarter of 2026.
Developed by Baykar and representing the company’s first unmanned fighter aircraft to proceed to serial production, the Bayraktar Kızılelma (S1) carried out its first serial production flight. According to a statement released by Baykar late on Thursday, the flight was completed following the production of five prototypes as part of the 2025 test campaign.
Baykar Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar shared footage of the first test flight of the serial production configuration with the public. In the company’s statement, it was noted that system identification tests were conducted during the flight.
Optical Systems Awaiting Delivery Phase
The absence of the Toygun low-observable EOTS and the Karat infrared search and track (IRST) systems on the first serial production aircraft indicates that these critical sensors, whose versions were tested towards the end of 2025, may be in the serial production delivery phase.
Baykar Flight Training and Test Centre Unit Leader Halil Akar recently told İhlas News Agency (İHA) that two serial production Kızılelma aircraft will be delivered in the first quarter of 2026.
Akar stated: “We have produced five Kızılelma prototypes and two serial production aircraft. We will deliver our aircraft to the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in the first quarter of 2026.” The platform is targeted to enter active service within 2026.
A World First: Air-to-Air Engagement by an Unmanned Fighter Aircraft
In November 2025, Bayraktar Kızılelma became the world’s first unmanned fighter aircraft to hit an aerial target by firing a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) at a target detected by its internal AESA radar.
In December 2025, the PT3 and PT5 prototypes carried out autonomous close-formation flight without human intervention, using intelligent fleet autonomy algorithms developed by Baykar. This test was recorded as a critical milestone in aviation history, as it marked the first time two unmanned fighter aircraft performed a fully autonomous, coordinated formation flight.
As part of the test flights:
- Combat Air Patrol (CAP) missions were conducted
- Autonomous patrol flights were carried out along predefined routes
- It was confirmed that air defence missions with unmanned fighter aircraft fleets are feasible
Comprehensive Weapon and Sensor Tests Completed at the End of 2025
Comprehensive weapon and sensor integration tests of Kızılelma were completed in the final months of 2025. Systems tested during this process included:
- TOLUN small-diameter bomb
- TEBER-82 laser/GNSS-guided bomb
- ASELSAN Murad 100-A AESA radar
- Toygun 100 EOTS
- Gökdoğan beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
- Karat 100 IRST
Bayraktar Kızılelma is being developed as a multi-role unmanned combat platform equipped with air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, radar and IRST sensors.
Key Technical Features of Bayraktar Kızılelma
Bayraktar Kızılelma stands out with its high manoeuvrability, low radar cross-section and ability to take off and land on short-runway aircraft carriers.
Basic performance data:
- Payload capacity: 1,500 kg
- Maximum take-off weight: 8,500 kg
- Cruise speed: Mach 0.6
- Maximum speed: Mach 0.9
- Combat radius: 500 nautical miles
- Operational altitude: 25,000 ft
- Service ceiling: 45,000 ft
- Endurance: 3+ hours
Dimensions:
- Length: 14.5 m
- Wingspan: 10 m
- Height: 3.5 m
Powered by a turbofan engine, the platform is capable of autonomous take-off, landing, taxi and cruise, line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, multi-mode AESA radar, EO/IR sensors, laser-guided munitions and long-range cruise missiles. The platform has subsonic, transonic and supersonic variants.
Bayraktar Kızılelma’s first flight took place on 14 December 2022 at Baykar’s Çorlu Akıncı Flight Training and Test Centre.
