Türkiye’s Kizilelma drone progresses with afterburner test and Aselsan Tolun munition integration
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Türkiye’s Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet completed two breakthrough flight tests on Sept. 27, 2025. The tests signal a major leap in the country’s push to develop autonomous combat aircraft, with global defense implications.
On September 27, 2025, Türkiye’s next-generation unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), the Bayraktar Kizilelma, reached a critical milestone in its development path with two breakthrough flight tests, as announced by Baykar Technologies. In rapid succession, the aircraft demonstrated successful in-flight operation with Aselsan’s TOLUN precision-guided bombs and, shortly after, executed an afterburner-assisted takeoff with its landing gear fully retracted. These back-to-back tests mark a turning point in Türkiye’s ambition to field a domestically built unmanned fighter jet, highlighting a leap in autonomy, lethality, and air combat potential.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Baykar’s twin test demonstrations with the Kizilelma PT-3 have not only validated critical combat systems but also showcased Türkiye’s ability to compress development cycles and achieve operational readiness milestones with impressive speed (Picture source: Baykar Technologies)
The Bayraktar Kizilelma, developed by Baykar Technologies, represents the cornerstone of Türkiye’s future unmanned airpower. Designed as a stealth-capable, carrier-operable UCAV with jet propulsion, Kizilelma combines manned fighter characteristics with autonomous combat capabilities. The third prototype, PT-3, is at the center of the recent test campaign. In its most recent missions, PT-3 successfully retracted its landing gear during an afterburner-powered takeoff, a crucial step in aerodynamic validation for high-speed maneuverability and low observable flight profiles. This came directly after a historic weapons integration trial in which the platform flew armed with two TOLUN small-diameter bombs (SDBs) housed in the SADAK-4T smart munition racks.
The first of the two test flights marked Kizilelma’s inaugural mission carrying captive live weapon payloads. The aircraft flew with a pair of ASELSAN TOLUN small-diameter precision munitions mounted on the SADAK-4T smart rack system, a configuration designed to deliver low-drag, high-accuracy strikes in contested airspace. TOLUN employs GPS/INS guidance and is designed for compact carriage, allowing internal or low-profile external integration to minimize radar cross-section and preserve the stealth characteristics of platforms like Kizilelma. While the Turkish defense industry has highlighted the strategic value of this integration, Secretary of Turkish Defense Industries Haluk Görgün emphasized that pairing TOLUN’s precision with Kizilelma’s maneuverability represents a major leap in indigenous airpower capabilities, shaping the trajectory of Türkiye’s future combat doctrines.
The first of the two test flights marked Kizilelma’s inaugural mission carrying captive live weapon payloads. The aircraft flew with a pair of ASELSAN TOLUN small-diameter precision munitions on the SADAK-4T smart rack system, a low-drag configuration aligned with stealth carriage. TOLUN is the 139 kg baseline member of a growing family, using GPS/INS guidance, foldable wings, and a penetrator warhead proven against about one meter of reinforced concrete at standoff ranges of roughly 55 nautical miles; the line now includes the imaging-infrared TOLUN-IIR with man-in-the-loop updates, CRPA anti-jamming, and sub-3 m CEP, plus the ground-launched TOLUN-S for multi-domain strikes. The same SADAK-4T architecture allows platforms like the F-16 to sortie with high-count loads, underscoring why pairing TOLUN’s accuracy with Kizilelma’s agility, as Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Haluk Görgün emphasized, will help shape future combat doctrines and accelerate indigenous airpower maturity.
Baykar’s second test, conducted only days later, showcased PT-3’s ability to perform high-thrust takeoffs using afterburner propulsion while retracting its landing gear mid-ascent for the first time. This maneuver represents a significant step in achieving flight envelope maturity and paves the way for high-subsonic or potentially supersonic operational profiles. By validating both propulsion-assisted launch and combat configuration in less than a week, Baykar signals an aggressive push toward initial operational capability (IOC), likely ahead of its original schedule.
Strategically, the Kizilelma is not merely a technological milestone but a geopolitical signal. As NATO’s second-largest military and a regional defense heavyweight, Türkiye is steadily reducing dependency on foreign platforms, particularly U.S.-built manned aircraft. Kizilelma’s evolution into a carrier-compatible UCAV, intended for future deployment from Türkiye’s flagship TCG Anadolu, adds expeditionary relevance and shifts the regional airpower equation. With precision munitions like TOLUN now operationally integrated, the aircraft is emerging as a credible deterrent against asymmetric and conventional threats alike, particularly in contested zones such as the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
Baykar’s twin test demonstrations with the Kizilelma PT-3 have not only validated critical combat systems but also showcased Türkiye’s ability to compress development cycles and reach operational readiness milestones with impressive speed. The integration of TOLUN precision-guided munitions, combined with advanced flight features such as afterburner-assisted takeoff and retractable landing gear, positions the Kizilelma as a genuine force multiplier within Türkiye’s evolving airpower doctrine. As the platform enters expanded weapons integration trials, potentially including the Roketsan-developed Cakir cruise missile and TÜBİTAK SAGE’s Bozdoğan air-to-air missile, its operational profile is steadily aligning with that of a next-generation fighter, albeit unmanned. This rapid technological momentum underscores Ankara’s strategic ambition to secure autonomy in air combat, signaling a shift in aerial deterrence across multiple regional theaters.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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Türkiye’s Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet completed two breakthrough flight tests on Sept. 27, 2025. The tests signal a major leap in the country’s push to develop autonomous combat aircraft, with global defense implications.
On September 27, 2025, Türkiye’s next-generation unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), the Bayraktar Kizilelma, reached a critical milestone in its development path with two breakthrough flight tests, as announced by Baykar Technologies. In rapid succession, the aircraft demonstrated successful in-flight operation with Aselsan’s TOLUN precision-guided bombs and, shortly after, executed an afterburner-assisted takeoff with its landing gear fully retracted. These back-to-back tests mark a turning point in Türkiye’s ambition to field a domestically built unmanned fighter jet, highlighting a leap in autonomy, lethality, and air combat potential.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Baykar’s twin test demonstrations with the Kizilelma PT-3 have not only validated critical combat systems but also showcased Türkiye’s ability to compress development cycles and achieve operational readiness milestones with impressive speed (Picture source: Baykar Technologies)
The Bayraktar Kizilelma, developed by Baykar Technologies, represents the cornerstone of Türkiye’s future unmanned airpower. Designed as a stealth-capable, carrier-operable UCAV with jet propulsion, Kizilelma combines manned fighter characteristics with autonomous combat capabilities. The third prototype, PT-3, is at the center of the recent test campaign. In its most recent missions, PT-3 successfully retracted its landing gear during an afterburner-powered takeoff, a crucial step in aerodynamic validation for high-speed maneuverability and low observable flight profiles. This came directly after a historic weapons integration trial in which the platform flew armed with two TOLUN small-diameter bombs (SDBs) housed in the SADAK-4T smart munition racks.
The first of the two test flights marked Kizilelma’s inaugural mission carrying captive live weapon payloads. The aircraft flew with a pair of ASELSAN TOLUN small-diameter precision munitions mounted on the SADAK-4T smart rack system, a configuration designed to deliver low-drag, high-accuracy strikes in contested airspace. TOLUN employs GPS/INS guidance and is designed for compact carriage, allowing internal or low-profile external integration to minimize radar cross-section and preserve the stealth characteristics of platforms like Kizilelma. While the Turkish defense industry has highlighted the strategic value of this integration, Secretary of Turkish Defense Industries Haluk Görgün emphasized that pairing TOLUN’s precision with Kizilelma’s maneuverability represents a major leap in indigenous airpower capabilities, shaping the trajectory of Türkiye’s future combat doctrines.
The first of the two test flights marked Kizilelma’s inaugural mission carrying captive live weapon payloads. The aircraft flew with a pair of ASELSAN TOLUN small-diameter precision munitions on the SADAK-4T smart rack system, a low-drag configuration aligned with stealth carriage. TOLUN is the 139 kg baseline member of a growing family, using GPS/INS guidance, foldable wings, and a penetrator warhead proven against about one meter of reinforced concrete at standoff ranges of roughly 55 nautical miles; the line now includes the imaging-infrared TOLUN-IIR with man-in-the-loop updates, CRPA anti-jamming, and sub-3 m CEP, plus the ground-launched TOLUN-S for multi-domain strikes. The same SADAK-4T architecture allows platforms like the F-16 to sortie with high-count loads, underscoring why pairing TOLUN’s accuracy with Kizilelma’s agility, as Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Haluk Görgün emphasized, will help shape future combat doctrines and accelerate indigenous airpower maturity.
Baykar’s second test, conducted only days later, showcased PT-3’s ability to perform high-thrust takeoffs using afterburner propulsion while retracting its landing gear mid-ascent for the first time. This maneuver represents a significant step in achieving flight envelope maturity and paves the way for high-subsonic or potentially supersonic operational profiles. By validating both propulsion-assisted launch and combat configuration in less than a week, Baykar signals an aggressive push toward initial operational capability (IOC), likely ahead of its original schedule.
Strategically, the Kizilelma is not merely a technological milestone but a geopolitical signal. As NATO’s second-largest military and a regional defense heavyweight, Türkiye is steadily reducing dependency on foreign platforms, particularly U.S.-built manned aircraft. Kizilelma’s evolution into a carrier-compatible UCAV, intended for future deployment from Türkiye’s flagship TCG Anadolu, adds expeditionary relevance and shifts the regional airpower equation. With precision munitions like TOLUN now operationally integrated, the aircraft is emerging as a credible deterrent against asymmetric and conventional threats alike, particularly in contested zones such as the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
Baykar’s twin test demonstrations with the Kizilelma PT-3 have not only validated critical combat systems but also showcased Türkiye’s ability to compress development cycles and reach operational readiness milestones with impressive speed. The integration of TOLUN precision-guided munitions, combined with advanced flight features such as afterburner-assisted takeoff and retractable landing gear, positions the Kizilelma as a genuine force multiplier within Türkiye’s evolving airpower doctrine. As the platform enters expanded weapons integration trials, potentially including the Roketsan-developed Cakir cruise missile and TÜBİTAK SAGE’s Bozdoğan air-to-air missile, its operational profile is steadily aligning with that of a next-generation fighter, albeit unmanned. This rapid technological momentum underscores Ankara’s strategic ambition to secure autonomy in air combat, signaling a shift in aerial deterrence across multiple regional theaters.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
