Türkiye’s indigenously developed unmanned stealth fighter, Bayraktar Kızılelma, has achieved a major milestone by locking on to an F-16 and performing a simulated direct hit. The test used Türkiye’s advanced MURAD AESA radar and the locally produced Gökdoğan air-to-air missile.
The flight took place from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Centre in Çorlu, Tekirdağ. During the 1 hour, 45-minute flight, the Kızılelma reached an average altitude of 4,572 meters, flew in formation with F-16s, and verified the integration of its national radar and munitions systems.
Two Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets participated in the exercise. One F-16 flew close to the Kızılelma, demonstrating compatibility with manned aircraft, while the second F-16 acted as the “target aircraft” in the simulated engagement.
Using its ASELSAN-developed MURAD AESA radar, the Bayraktar Kızılelma detected the F-16 target at 48.2 kilometers and successfully locked onto it. The aircraft then simulated an electronic missile launch using the TÜBİTAK SAGE-developed Gökdoğan, neutralizing the highly maneuverable F-16 target in the test environment.
A key achievement was the seamless communication between the Kızılelma, its radar, and the missile. The UAV transmitted the target’s location, speed, and other critical data directly from the MURAD radar to the Gökdoğan missile, validating its ability to engage beyond-visual-range (BVR) targets effectively.
The successful test confirms the Kızılelma’s operational capabilities alongside manned fighter aircraft, including F-16s. The UAV’s aerodynamics, avionics, radar performance, and munitions integration were validated under challenging conditions, marking a significant step for Türkiye’s unmanned combat aircraft program.
Baykar stated that the Kızılelma has accumulated over 55 flight hours during testing and is moving closer to operational deployment. The successful demonstration alongside F-16 jets highlights Türkiye’s growing indigenous capabilities in advanced aerial warfare technology.
This milestone reinforces the potential of unmanned stealth fighters to complement and operate in tandem with legacy F-16 platforms in future combat scenarios.
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