Turkish Kizilelma fighter jet drone armed with precision-guided bombs nears NATO parity
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Turkish Company Baykar released footage on October 6, 2025, showing its Kizilelma fighter jet drone armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs. The test advances Turkey’s UCAV program toward NATO-level strike capability and operational readiness.Istanbul, Türkiye, October 7, 15H50 (CEST) – Turkish Company Baykar confirmed on October 6, 2025, that its Kizilelma fighter jet drone successfully conducted a flight test while armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs mounted on SADAK-4T external pylons. The video, shared by the account Visioner on X, marks the transition from aerodynamic trials to guided weapons integration. The development brings Turkey’s flagship UCAV project closer to the strike performance and operational benchmarks of advanced NATO unmanned combat aircraft.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Bayraktar Kizilelma prototype armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs on external SADAK-4T pylons prior to a flight test at Baykar facilities. (Picture source: Baykar)
Kızilelma is Baykar’s jet-powered, carrier-capable UCAV developed under the national MIUS program to deliver a stealthy reconnaissance-strike capability and to operate from short-runway amphibious ships such as TCG Anadolu. Baykar presents the type as a low-observable, single-engine design in its early production variants with internal weapon stowage planned for later blocks; public technical disclosures and program reporting indicate the program has progressed through multiple prototypes with evolving engines and airframe changes as the company works toward a production configuration.
The October 6 footage is notable because it confirms live-load carriage of the TOLUN family of munitions rather than captive or purely aerodynamic trials. ASELSAN describes TOLUN as a modular GPS/INS guided glide munition designed for precision engagement of soft and hardened targets and optimized for carriage on the SADAK-4T smart pneumatic quad rack, which permits multiple small glide weapons to be carried and released from tactical aircraft and unmanned platforms. The public ASELSAN product information and recent trade show disclosures place the system in the same tactical niche as western small diameter glide munitions, sized to allow multiple weapons per sortie and flexible target selection in contested environments.
Open reporting and program documentation point to a staged propulsion roadmap for Kızilelma. Early prototypes used AI-25TLT turbofan engines while later demonstrators and production intent have shifted toward the higher-thrust Ukrainian AI-322F afterburning turbofan to broaden flight envelope, increase payload and sustain higher speed regimes. The exact engine installed on the specific airframe shown in the video has not been officially confirmed by Baykar, but observers earlier linked the third prototype and subsequent production testbeds to the AI-322F family as the company readies the type for near-supersonic operations and arrested deck handling trials.
The configuration seen in the footage, external SADAK-4T racks with externally mounted TOLUN munitions, carries clear tradeoffs. External pylons simplify early integration and permit rapid weapon-interface validation for avionics, flight control and release sequencers; however, external carriage increases radar cross section and thermal signature relative to internal bay carriage and therefore runs counter to the platform’s advertised low-observable mission profile. Baykar’s public materials and statements stress that internal weapon bays are an engineering goal for production blocks, meaning the company intends to migrate validated external-pylon integrations into internally stowed, low-observable carriage solutions once separation, ejection and bay-mechanical interfaces are proven. Achieving internal carriage without appreciable penalties to payload weight, cooling and mission systems will be a critical technical milestone before Kızilelma can claim full stealth strike capability.
Technically, the TOLUN family is well suited to the Kızilelma concept because its mass and form factor resemble western small-diameter glide munitions, enabling multiple weapons per sortie and precision effects without demanding large carriage hardpoints. For a stealth UCAV this type of munition is attractive because small glide bombs reduce bay volume requirements and allow tactics that favor altitude-released stand-off attack profiles. ASELSAN’s public material describes GPS/INS guidance and modular seeker options that would permit TOLUN to operate in both preplanned GPS environments and against relocatable targets if a terminal seeker variant is employed. Integration work must, however, prove safe release envelopes from Kızilelma’s planned internal bay geometry and define the mechanical ejection or pusher mechanisms required to avoid flow interference with the airframe during high-speed flight.
Placing Kızilelma in an international context highlights both convergences and doctrinal differences with other contemporary unmanned jet programs. The U.S. Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is a carrier-based unmanned aircraft whose primary mission is organic aerial refueling for carrier air wings, with ISR as a secondary role; the MQ-25 is not conceived as a primary strike UCAV and emphasizes fuel transfer, endurance and integration with manned naval aviation rather than internal stealthy strike. Kızilelma, by contrast, is being developed from the outset as a reconnaissance-strike jet with stealth attributes and an aspiration for internal weapons carriage and supersonic performance, so the two programs answer different operational requirements within naval aviation architectures.
The Dassault nEUROn demonstrator provides another useful comparator. nEUROn is a European technology demonstrator focused expressly on stealth, autonomous mission systems, sensor fusion and the experimental integration of low-observable airframes with strike missions. Like Kızilelma, nEUROn is a technology pathfinder rather than an immediate mass-production combat type, and it has delivered lessons in signature management, autonomy and weapons separation. The key difference is that nEUROn was built as a collaborative European demonstrator to validate technologies for future manned and unmanned combat systems, whereas Kızilelma is being developed by Baykar as a national product intended to enter serial production and active service; Kızilelma’s carrier capability, emphasis on phased engine upgrades and immediate weapons integration point to a shorter path from demonstrator to fielded system than the nEUROn model.
Operationally, the October 6 video serves as both a technical update and a strategic signal. For operators, the ability to carry multiple small precision munitions like TOLUN from a jet-powered UCAV expands mission sets to include maritime strike, suppression of enemy air defenses against fixed emitters, and time-sensitive targeting with high sortie-effectiveness. For Baykar and Ankara, showcasing armed trials underscores maturation of the MIUS program and strengthens export marketing as the company seeks customers who value indigenous sensors, local weapons integration and carrier-capable unmanned strike options. The remaining technical denominator is the live-release and internal bay integration sequence, successful separation tests, signature mitigation with internal stores, and carrier handling, launch, recovery and deck handling trials will determine when Kızilelma moves from prototype demonstrations to credible operational deployment.
For our specialized readers the short-term watchpoints are clear: confirmatory live-release trials of TOLUN from Kızilelma; formal disclosure of the engine installed on the specific prototype shown; technical data from separation trials addressing shock and unsteady-flow effects on the airframe; and any announcements on arrested recovery or catapult launch compatibility for maritime operations. If Baykar completes internal bay validation while maintaining payload and range statistics, Kızilelma would represent one of the most ambitious transitions from demonstrator to operational stealth UCAV in the global market and would position Turkey among a small group of nations fielding carrier-capable armed unmanned jet systems.Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition GroupAlain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
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Turkish Company Baykar released footage on October 6, 2025, showing its Kizilelma fighter jet drone armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs. The test advances Turkey’s UCAV program toward NATO-level strike capability and operational readiness.
Istanbul, Türkiye, October 7, 15H50 (CEST) – Turkish Company Baykar confirmed on October 6, 2025, that its Kizilelma fighter jet drone successfully conducted a flight test while armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs mounted on SADAK-4T external pylons. The video, shared by the account Visioner on X, marks the transition from aerodynamic trials to guided weapons integration. The development brings Turkey’s flagship UCAV project closer to the strike performance and operational benchmarks of advanced NATO unmanned combat aircraft.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Bayraktar Kizilelma prototype armed with two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs on external SADAK-4T pylons prior to a flight test at Baykar facilities. (Picture source: Baykar)
Kızilelma is Baykar’s jet-powered, carrier-capable UCAV developed under the national MIUS program to deliver a stealthy reconnaissance-strike capability and to operate from short-runway amphibious ships such as TCG Anadolu. Baykar presents the type as a low-observable, single-engine design in its early production variants with internal weapon stowage planned for later blocks; public technical disclosures and program reporting indicate the program has progressed through multiple prototypes with evolving engines and airframe changes as the company works toward a production configuration.
The October 6 footage is notable because it confirms live-load carriage of the TOLUN family of munitions rather than captive or purely aerodynamic trials. ASELSAN describes TOLUN as a modular GPS/INS guided glide munition designed for precision engagement of soft and hardened targets and optimized for carriage on the SADAK-4T smart pneumatic quad rack, which permits multiple small glide weapons to be carried and released from tactical aircraft and unmanned platforms. The public ASELSAN product information and recent trade show disclosures place the system in the same tactical niche as western small diameter glide munitions, sized to allow multiple weapons per sortie and flexible target selection in contested environments.
Open reporting and program documentation point to a staged propulsion roadmap for Kızilelma. Early prototypes used AI-25TLT turbofan engines while later demonstrators and production intent have shifted toward the higher-thrust Ukrainian AI-322F afterburning turbofan to broaden flight envelope, increase payload and sustain higher speed regimes. The exact engine installed on the specific airframe shown in the video has not been officially confirmed by Baykar, but observers earlier linked the third prototype and subsequent production testbeds to the AI-322F family as the company readies the type for near-supersonic operations and arrested deck handling trials.
The configuration seen in the footage, external SADAK-4T racks with externally mounted TOLUN munitions, carries clear tradeoffs. External pylons simplify early integration and permit rapid weapon-interface validation for avionics, flight control and release sequencers; however, external carriage increases radar cross section and thermal signature relative to internal bay carriage and therefore runs counter to the platform’s advertised low-observable mission profile. Baykar’s public materials and statements stress that internal weapon bays are an engineering goal for production blocks, meaning the company intends to migrate validated external-pylon integrations into internally stowed, low-observable carriage solutions once separation, ejection and bay-mechanical interfaces are proven. Achieving internal carriage without appreciable penalties to payload weight, cooling and mission systems will be a critical technical milestone before Kızilelma can claim full stealth strike capability.
Technically, the TOLUN family is well suited to the Kızilelma concept because its mass and form factor resemble western small-diameter glide munitions, enabling multiple weapons per sortie and precision effects without demanding large carriage hardpoints. For a stealth UCAV this type of munition is attractive because small glide bombs reduce bay volume requirements and allow tactics that favor altitude-released stand-off attack profiles. ASELSAN’s public material describes GPS/INS guidance and modular seeker options that would permit TOLUN to operate in both preplanned GPS environments and against relocatable targets if a terminal seeker variant is employed. Integration work must, however, prove safe release envelopes from Kızilelma’s planned internal bay geometry and define the mechanical ejection or pusher mechanisms required to avoid flow interference with the airframe during high-speed flight.
Placing Kızilelma in an international context highlights both convergences and doctrinal differences with other contemporary unmanned jet programs. The U.S. Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is a carrier-based unmanned aircraft whose primary mission is organic aerial refueling for carrier air wings, with ISR as a secondary role; the MQ-25 is not conceived as a primary strike UCAV and emphasizes fuel transfer, endurance and integration with manned naval aviation rather than internal stealthy strike. Kızilelma, by contrast, is being developed from the outset as a reconnaissance-strike jet with stealth attributes and an aspiration for internal weapons carriage and supersonic performance, so the two programs answer different operational requirements within naval aviation architectures.
The Dassault nEUROn demonstrator provides another useful comparator. nEUROn is a European technology demonstrator focused expressly on stealth, autonomous mission systems, sensor fusion and the experimental integration of low-observable airframes with strike missions. Like Kızilelma, nEUROn is a technology pathfinder rather than an immediate mass-production combat type, and it has delivered lessons in signature management, autonomy and weapons separation. The key difference is that nEUROn was built as a collaborative European demonstrator to validate technologies for future manned and unmanned combat systems, whereas Kızilelma is being developed by Baykar as a national product intended to enter serial production and active service; Kızilelma’s carrier capability, emphasis on phased engine upgrades and immediate weapons integration point to a shorter path from demonstrator to fielded system than the nEUROn model.
Operationally, the October 6 video serves as both a technical update and a strategic signal. For operators, the ability to carry multiple small precision munitions like TOLUN from a jet-powered UCAV expands mission sets to include maritime strike, suppression of enemy air defenses against fixed emitters, and time-sensitive targeting with high sortie-effectiveness. For Baykar and Ankara, showcasing armed trials underscores maturation of the MIUS program and strengthens export marketing as the company seeks customers who value indigenous sensors, local weapons integration and carrier-capable unmanned strike options. The remaining technical denominator is the live-release and internal bay integration sequence, successful separation tests, signature mitigation with internal stores, and carrier handling, launch, recovery and deck handling trials will determine when Kızilelma moves from prototype demonstrations to credible operational deployment.
For our specialized readers the short-term watchpoints are clear: confirmatory live-release trials of TOLUN from Kızilelma; formal disclosure of the engine installed on the specific prototype shown; technical data from separation trials addressing shock and unsteady-flow effects on the airframe; and any announcements on arrested recovery or catapult launch compatibility for maritime operations. If Baykar completes internal bay validation while maintaining payload and range statistics, Kızilelma would represent one of the most ambitious transitions from demonstrator to operational stealth UCAV in the global market and would position Turkey among a small group of nations fielding carrier-capable armed unmanned jet systems.
Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
