Türkiye’s Aselsan links KAAN Stealth Fighter with ANKA-3 and KIZILELMA Drones for manned-unmanned teaming
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On June 2025, Aselsan’s CEO announced that Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter KAAN will now communicate in real time with the country’s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, the ANKA-3 and KIZILELMA, thanks to a new secure datalink system developed in-house. The revelation marks a milestone in Türkiye’s air dominance doctrine by introducing a truly integrated manned-unmanned operational network. This capability reflects a fundamental shift from platform-centric to network-centric warfare. The news was reported by Turkish media outlets and confirmed by Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The ANKA-3, with its stealth design and probable strike-reconnaissance hybrid role, and the KIZILELMA, which pushes into the loyal wingman category with higher speed and aggressiveness, each bring complementary capabilities to KAAN’s air wing(Picture source: Generated by AI)
The core of this technological leap lies in the Indigenous Flight Datalink (IVDL) developed by Aselsan, which enables KAAN to communicate with the stealthy ANKA-3 flying-wing drone and the jet-powered KIZILELMA unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). Operating within a wide bandwidth, with fast throughput and high resistance to electronic warfare detection, this datalink allows KAAN to act not only as a frontline fighter but also as a command-and-control node orchestrating unmanned assets. This system complements new low-observable features such as the TOYGUN electro-optical suite and the passive IRST sensor KARAT, further increasing KAAN’s survivability and effectiveness in contested environments.
Development of the KAAN fighter, led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), began in the mid-2010s as part of Türkiye’s drive toward defense autonomy. While the KAAN project follows the Western fifth-generation model, it also integrates lessons learned from drone-centric conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. Unlike earlier fifth-gen fighters such as the F-22 or Su-57, KAAN is being designed from the outset to operate in tandem with unmanned systems. The ANKA-3, with its stealth design and probable strike-reconnaissance hybrid role, and the KIZILELMA, which pushes into the loyal wingman category with higher speed and aggressiveness, each bring complementary capabilities to KAAN’s air wing.
This manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) architecture gives Türkiye a tactical edge in future conflict scenarios where saturation attacks, electronic warfare, and long-range strike coordination will dominate. The IVDL ensures KAAN can direct drones to conduct suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), electronic jamming, or deep strike missions without exposing the pilot to excessive risk. Compared to the U.S. Air Force’s still experimental collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) concept or Russia’s Okhotnik drone linked to the Su-57, Türkiye’s integration of combat UAVs into an operational fighter squadron is moving toward real-time battlefield applicability.
The strategic implications are significant. This digital mesh network model enhances Türkiye’s ability to conduct operations independently from NATO’s C4ISR infrastructure, providing a sovereign response capability in crisis scenarios across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, or Northern Syria. Moreover, it solidifies Türkiye’s ambition to emerge as a full-spectrum drone superpower, not just in hardware manufacturing but also in operational doctrine and battlefield connectivity.
By enabling KAAN to function as an airborne command hub for both the ANKA-3 and KIZILELMA, Aselsan’s IVDL system pushes Türkiye into the era of manned-unmanned collaborative warfare. This shift is not merely a technological update, it is a conceptual transformation that leverages Türkiye’s drone expertise to redefine how air superiority is achieved and sustained. With systems like KAAN, ANKA-3, and KIZILELMA increasingly interoperable, Türkiye is building a combat ecosystem that moves beyond traditional airpower hierarchies, combining stealth, autonomy, and real-time control in ways that few nations have operationalized.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On June 2025, Aselsan’s CEO announced that Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter KAAN will now communicate in real time with the country’s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, the ANKA-3 and KIZILELMA, thanks to a new secure datalink system developed in-house. The revelation marks a milestone in Türkiye’s air dominance doctrine by introducing a truly integrated manned-unmanned operational network. This capability reflects a fundamental shift from platform-centric to network-centric warfare. The news was reported by Turkish media outlets and confirmed by Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The ANKA-3, with its stealth design and probable strike-reconnaissance hybrid role, and the KIZILELMA, which pushes into the loyal wingman category with higher speed and aggressiveness, each bring complementary capabilities to KAAN’s air wing
(Picture source: Generated by AI)
The core of this technological leap lies in the Indigenous Flight Datalink (IVDL) developed by Aselsan, which enables KAAN to communicate with the stealthy ANKA-3 flying-wing drone and the jet-powered KIZILELMA unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). Operating within a wide bandwidth, with fast throughput and high resistance to electronic warfare detection, this datalink allows KAAN to act not only as a frontline fighter but also as a command-and-control node orchestrating unmanned assets. This system complements new low-observable features such as the TOYGUN electro-optical suite and the passive IRST sensor KARAT, further increasing KAAN’s survivability and effectiveness in contested environments.
Development of the KAAN fighter, led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), began in the mid-2010s as part of Türkiye’s drive toward defense autonomy. While the KAAN project follows the Western fifth-generation model, it also integrates lessons learned from drone-centric conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. Unlike earlier fifth-gen fighters such as the F-22 or Su-57, KAAN is being designed from the outset to operate in tandem with unmanned systems. The ANKA-3, with its stealth design and probable strike-reconnaissance hybrid role, and the KIZILELMA, which pushes into the loyal wingman category with higher speed and aggressiveness, each bring complementary capabilities to KAAN’s air wing.
This manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) architecture gives Türkiye a tactical edge in future conflict scenarios where saturation attacks, electronic warfare, and long-range strike coordination will dominate. The IVDL ensures KAAN can direct drones to conduct suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), electronic jamming, or deep strike missions without exposing the pilot to excessive risk. Compared to the U.S. Air Force’s still experimental collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) concept or Russia’s Okhotnik drone linked to the Su-57, Türkiye’s integration of combat UAVs into an operational fighter squadron is moving toward real-time battlefield applicability.
The strategic implications are significant. This digital mesh network model enhances Türkiye’s ability to conduct operations independently from NATO’s C4ISR infrastructure, providing a sovereign response capability in crisis scenarios across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, or Northern Syria. Moreover, it solidifies Türkiye’s ambition to emerge as a full-spectrum drone superpower, not just in hardware manufacturing but also in operational doctrine and battlefield connectivity.
By enabling KAAN to function as an airborne command hub for both the ANKA-3 and KIZILELMA, Aselsan’s IVDL system pushes Türkiye into the era of manned-unmanned collaborative warfare. This shift is not merely a technological update, it is a conceptual transformation that leverages Türkiye’s drone expertise to redefine how air superiority is achieved and sustained. With systems like KAAN, ANKA-3, and KIZILELMA increasingly interoperable, Türkiye is building a combat ecosystem that moves beyond traditional airpower hierarchies, combining stealth, autonomy, and real-time control in ways that few nations have operationalized.
