Exclusive: Türkiye’s KIZILELMA Unmanned Fighter Jet Set to Join Turkish Navy Carrier Fleet by 2026.

On May 5, 2025, TürkiyeToday published a pivotal interview with Haluk Görgün, President of the Presidency of Turkish Defense Industries (SSB), revealing crucial developments about Türkiye’s most ambitious unmanned aerial combat system—the Bayraktar KIZILELMA. Developed by leading Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, the KIZILELMA is expected to be officially inducted into the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) by 2026, marking a transformative moment in Türkiye’s defense capabilities and aerospace independence.
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The Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Türkiye’s next-generation unmanned combat aircraft, showcases its advanced design and stealth capabilities. Developed by Baykar, the UCAV is set to enter service with the Turkish Armed Forces by 2026, including operations from aircraft carriers. (Picture source: Baykar)

The KIZILELMA project, initiated in 2021, is fully self-funded by Baykar and represents a dramatic leap forward in the evolution of unmanned systems. Baykar, which gained international acclaim for its Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones, has leveraged its operational expertise to build a next-generation platform that fuses autonomy, stealth, and multi-role versatility. Just over a year after development began, the third prototype—tail-numbered TC-ÖZB3—achieved its first flight on December 14, 2022. Since then, the system has undergone rigorous evaluations, including the Aerodynamic System Identification Test conducted in March 2025, confirming key design features and validating its avionics and flight control systems.

Baykar positions the KIZILELMA as more than a drone—it is a forward-looking combat aircraft designed to dominate in a future where manned fighters will increasingly share the skies with autonomous platforms. The company stated, “With consideration of a future where air combat will be dominated by unmanned technology, our Bayraktar KIZILELMA Fighter UAV, being developed fully within Turkish borders, will most certainly play an increasingly important role moving ahead.” This vision reflects Türkiye’s strategic goal of reducing reliance on foreign systems and enhancing sovereign capability across all defense domains.

The Bayraktar KIZILELMA is engineered with a stealth-oriented design, aggressive maneuvering capabilities, and carrier-operational flexibility, making it a unique asset in the global UAV arena. Its ability to autonomously take off and land from short-runway aircraft carriers, such as the TCG Anadolu, gives Türkiye a rare capability to project unmanned airpower from sea-based platforms—an innovation achieved by only a handful of countries.

The KIZILELMA delivers a powerful blend of performance characteristics that position it at the forefront of next-generation unmanned combat aircraft. With a maximum take-off weight of 8.5 tons and a payload capacity of 1.5 tons, the platform can carry an array of mission-specific equipment and munitions, making it suitable for both strike and reconnaissance roles. It is powered by a turbofan engine and is designed for fully autonomous operations including takeoff, landing, taxi, and cruise—capabilities that expand its versatility across various theaters of operation.

In terms of flight performance, the KIZILELMA achieves a cruise speed of 0.6 Mach and can accelerate to a maximum speed of 0.9 Mach, offering a balance between endurance and speed that enhances its operational flexibility. The UAV features a combat radius of 500 nautical miles (approximately 926 kilometers) and maintains a service ceiling of 45,000 feet (about 13,700 meters), with an operational altitude set at 25,000 feet (around 7,620 meters). These parameters enable it to operate well above most short-range air defenses and in contested airspace.

Its endurance exceeds three hours, allowing for prolonged missions with reduced reliance on ground control. Communication systems onboard support both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) modes, ensuring robust connectivity in diverse combat environments.

Equipped with a suite of advanced sensors, the KIZILELMA includes an electro-optical targeting system, an infrared search and track (IRST) system, and a multi-mode AESA radar. These systems enable the aircraft to detect, track, and engage targets with high precision. For armament, it is capable of deploying laser-guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles, and long-range cruise missiles, most of which are carried internally to preserve its stealth profile.

Structurally, the KIZILELMA measures 14.5 meters in length, with a wingspan of 10 meters and a height of 3.5 meters. Its stealth design features a low radar cross-section (RCS), and it is built for high maneuverability, giving it the agility to survive in contested airspace. Unique among UCAVs, it is designed to take off and land on short-runway aircraft carriers, enabling Türkiye to extend its unmanned air operations to maritime domains.

More broadly, the development of the KIZILELMA is part of Türkiye’s wider ascent in the global defense market. With the TB2 and Akıncı drones proving themselves in various international conflict zones, Baykar has become a major player in UAV exports. The addition of the KIZILELMA to Türkiye’s defense portfolio is expected to further solidify its role as a global hub for advanced drone technologies.

As it nears operational readiness in 2026, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA marks a milestone not only for Baykar but for the future of unmanned airpower. It encapsulates a vision where autonomy, innovation, and national pride converge to reshape the combat landscape—both in Türkiye and abroad.