• Source:JND
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In a major breakthrough in aerospace technology, Turkey's first unmanned fighter jet Bayraktar Kizilelma has downed a jet-powered target aircraft with a radar-guided Beyond Visual Range missile. This is the first confirmed case of a UAV engaging and destroying a high-speed airborne target with a long-range air-to-air weapon and is considered to be a first in global unmanned combat aviation.

The test was conducted at the Sinop firing range, where Kızılelma flew in formation with five F-15 fighter jets. During the trial, the unmanned jet was able to identify a fast-moving and jet-powered aerial target by using Murad Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The jet is developed by the Turkish defence electronics company Aselsan.

Once locked on the target, the aircraft fired a Gokdogan BVR air-to-air missile, designed by Tubitak Sage, Turkey's national research institute. The missile launched cleanly, tracked its objective, and scored a direct hit-a moment captured on video and widely shared by Baykar.

A Fully Indigenous ‘Kill Chain’

According to a statement by Baykar, the manufacturer behind Kızılelma, the test marks the first time Türkiye has completed the full air-to-air kill chain using entirely indigenous systems:

Kızılelma– Turkey’s first unmanned fighter jet

Murad AESA radar – Turkey’s first home-built radar integrated into a UAV

Gokdogan missile – A locally developed BVR missile

Baykar highlighted that while many advanced militaries, including the US, China and Israel, have explored similar unmanned combat capabilities, none have yet demonstrated a verified long-range strike against a high-speed, jet-powered aerial target using a radar-guided missile fired from an unmanned platform.

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A Strategic Breakthrough For Turkey

The successful test is being hailed by defence officials and analysts as a transformative moment for Türkiye’s military ambitions.

Selcuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer, described the achievement as “a new era in aviation history.” In a video statement, he said, “For the first time, an unmanned combat aircraft has fired a radar-guided missile at an airborne target and achieved a perfect hit.”

The Kızılelma programme is central to Turkey’s goal of building a next-generation, highly autonomous air combat fleet. With the new demonstration, Türkiye has positioned itself at the forefront of unmanned fighter technology, an area rapidly emerging as the future of aerial warfare.

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