Bayraktar Akıncı Integrates Aselsan’s MURAD AESA Radar Expanding Strike and Surveillance Capabilities
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On March 1, 2025, Baykar announced a major development in radar technology with the successful test flight of the Bayraktar Akıncı combat drone equipped with Aselsan’s MURAD Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This milestone enhances the operational capabilities of Turkish drones, improving situational awareness and increasing mission precision. The integration of this radar expands the drone’s potential in surveillance, reconnaissance, and both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With MURAD, the Akıncı can now detect and engage ground and maritime targets beyond its direct line of sight, expanding its effectiveness in environments where optical sensors face limitations. (Picture source: Baykar)
The test was conducted with the Akıncı-A variant, powered by AI-450T turboprop engines. It followed a previous evaluation phase in which the MURAD radar was tested on an F-16 fighter jet, demonstrating its compatibility with Turkish aerial platforms. Footage from the test highlights real-time radar imaging from the ground control station, showcasing its tracking and imaging capabilities.
Built on Gallium Nitride (GaN) architecture, the MURAD AESA radar introduces advanced detection and targeting capabilities. It operates in both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, offering significant operational flexibility. Air-to-air functions include mid-course missile guidance, high-aspect target detection, helicopter identification, and weather monitoring. Air-to-ground features comprise synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, ground-moving target indication (GMTI), fixed target tracking, detailed mapping, and range measurement.
The integration of this radar significantly enhances the Bayraktar Akıncı’s operational scope. Previously, combat drones relied primarily on electro-optical and infrared sensors for reconnaissance and targeting, which are limited by weather conditions such as cloud cover, fog, or dust. With MURAD, the Akıncı can now detect and engage ground and maritime targets beyond its direct line of sight, expanding its effectiveness in environments where optical sensors face limitations. Furthermore, the incorporation of air-to-air missiles such as Gökdoğan, Bozdoğan, and Sungur allows it to engage aerial threats at extended ranges, broadening its role in modern combat scenarios.
Aselsan announced the successful test on the X platform, stating that the MURAD 100-A, integrated into the Akıncı, represents a significant advancement for the defense industry. The radar’s capabilities align with those developed by only a limited number of nations. Turkey’s Secretary of Defense Industries, Haluk Görgün, emphasized that drones equipped with this system now have enhanced target acquisition and operational versatility. He acknowledged the collaboration between Baykar and Aselsan, highlighting the technological effort involved in the project.
The MURAD AESA radar was initially developed as part of a modernization initiative for the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets. Over five years, this project resulted in a system capable of competing with high-performance alternatives on the market. The radar is set to be integrated into multiple aerial platforms, including the Bayraktar Akıncı, the Hurjet advanced jet trainer, the ANKA-3 stealth combat drone, the Kızılelma unmanned fighter jet, and the KAAN national combat aircraft. This broad application aligns with a strategy to establish an interconnected and autonomous aerial fleet capable of responding to evolving operational requirements.
The MURAD 100-A was developed using national resources and incorporates several advanced features, including wide-band operation, simultaneous air and ground tracking, high-resolution ground imaging, electronic warfare capabilities, and multi-target tracking. These characteristics improve fire control accuracy and situational awareness, while also enhancing resistance to electronic countermeasures.
Following its successful integration with the Bayraktar Akıncı, the MURAD radar will also be deployed on F-16s as part of the ÖZGÜR modernization program, aimed at upgrading the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 Block 30 aircraft. Flight tests for this integration began in 2024, progressing toward certification. In parallel, Aselsan is also developing the FULMAR 500-A, a long-range airborne maritime surveillance radar, which is expected to be operational within three years under an agreement signed with the Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB) at IDEF 2024.
This integration enables the Bayraktar Akıncı to engage targets beyond visual range (BVR), a capability critical for contemporary aerial engagements. The radar enhances its ability to detect and engage enemy aircraft at long distances, reinforcing its role in air superiority missions. Designed for reconnaissance and precision strikes, the drone gains additional versatility, carrying a range of smart munitions and missiles for air-to-ground operations.
The success of this test has broader implications beyond the immediate technical advancements. It represents a key step in Turkey’s goal of developing autonomous defense technologies and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The successful integration of AESA radar technology onto a high-performance combat drone places Turkey among a limited group of countries capable of such developments. This progress also strengthens Turkey’s standing in the international market for drones and advanced sensor systems, increasing export potential in a growing sector. Additionally, it may accelerate other modernization initiatives, including the application of this technology to future combat aircraft, further advancing the country’s defense industry.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On March 1, 2025, Baykar announced a major development in radar technology with the successful test flight of the Bayraktar Akıncı combat drone equipped with Aselsan’s MURAD Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This milestone enhances the operational capabilities of Turkish drones, improving situational awareness and increasing mission precision. The integration of this radar expands the drone’s potential in surveillance, reconnaissance, and both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.
With MURAD, the Akıncı can now detect and engage ground and maritime targets beyond its direct line of sight, expanding its effectiveness in environments where optical sensors face limitations. (Picture source: Baykar)
The test was conducted with the Akıncı-A variant, powered by AI-450T turboprop engines. It followed a previous evaluation phase in which the MURAD radar was tested on an F-16 fighter jet, demonstrating its compatibility with Turkish aerial platforms. Footage from the test highlights real-time radar imaging from the ground control station, showcasing its tracking and imaging capabilities.
Built on Gallium Nitride (GaN) architecture, the MURAD AESA radar introduces advanced detection and targeting capabilities. It operates in both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, offering significant operational flexibility. Air-to-air functions include mid-course missile guidance, high-aspect target detection, helicopter identification, and weather monitoring. Air-to-ground features comprise synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, ground-moving target indication (GMTI), fixed target tracking, detailed mapping, and range measurement.
The integration of this radar significantly enhances the Bayraktar Akıncı’s operational scope. Previously, combat drones relied primarily on electro-optical and infrared sensors for reconnaissance and targeting, which are limited by weather conditions such as cloud cover, fog, or dust. With MURAD, the Akıncı can now detect and engage ground and maritime targets beyond its direct line of sight, expanding its effectiveness in environments where optical sensors face limitations. Furthermore, the incorporation of air-to-air missiles such as Gökdoğan, Bozdoğan, and Sungur allows it to engage aerial threats at extended ranges, broadening its role in modern combat scenarios.
Aselsan announced the successful test on the X platform, stating that the MURAD 100-A, integrated into the Akıncı, represents a significant advancement for the defense industry. The radar’s capabilities align with those developed by only a limited number of nations. Turkey’s Secretary of Defense Industries, Haluk Görgün, emphasized that drones equipped with this system now have enhanced target acquisition and operational versatility. He acknowledged the collaboration between Baykar and Aselsan, highlighting the technological effort involved in the project.
The MURAD AESA radar was initially developed as part of a modernization initiative for the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets. Over five years, this project resulted in a system capable of competing with high-performance alternatives on the market. The radar is set to be integrated into multiple aerial platforms, including the Bayraktar Akıncı, the Hurjet advanced jet trainer, the ANKA-3 stealth combat drone, the Kızılelma unmanned fighter jet, and the KAAN national combat aircraft. This broad application aligns with a strategy to establish an interconnected and autonomous aerial fleet capable of responding to evolving operational requirements.
The MURAD 100-A was developed using national resources and incorporates several advanced features, including wide-band operation, simultaneous air and ground tracking, high-resolution ground imaging, electronic warfare capabilities, and multi-target tracking. These characteristics improve fire control accuracy and situational awareness, while also enhancing resistance to electronic countermeasures.
Following its successful integration with the Bayraktar Akıncı, the MURAD radar will also be deployed on F-16s as part of the ÖZGÜR modernization program, aimed at upgrading the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 Block 30 aircraft. Flight tests for this integration began in 2024, progressing toward certification. In parallel, Aselsan is also developing the FULMAR 500-A, a long-range airborne maritime surveillance radar, which is expected to be operational within three years under an agreement signed with the Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB) at IDEF 2024.
This integration enables the Bayraktar Akıncı to engage targets beyond visual range (BVR), a capability critical for contemporary aerial engagements. The radar enhances its ability to detect and engage enemy aircraft at long distances, reinforcing its role in air superiority missions. Designed for reconnaissance and precision strikes, the drone gains additional versatility, carrying a range of smart munitions and missiles for air-to-ground operations.
The success of this test has broader implications beyond the immediate technical advancements. It represents a key step in Turkey’s goal of developing autonomous defense technologies and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The successful integration of AESA radar technology onto a high-performance combat drone places Turkey among a limited group of countries capable of such developments. This progress also strengthens Turkey’s standing in the international market for drones and advanced sensor systems, increasing export potential in a growing sector. Additionally, it may accelerate other modernization initiatives, including the application of this technology to future combat aircraft, further advancing the country’s defense industry.
