Will Türkiye’s Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet change the future of air combat?
Автор: Strait Talk
Загружено: 2025-12-12
Просмотров: 7829
It was a first in aviation history. An unmanned fighter jet shooting down an airborne target with its own onboard radar. Turkiye's drone powerhouse Baykar beat out US rivals Boeing to achieve the feat. Dubbed the loyal wingman, the Kizilelma is set to take Turkiye's aviation power to new heights. But as unmanned fighters push into roles once reserved for pilots, how far could this reshape the future of air combat?
The test took place over the Black Sea near Turkiye's Sinop province. It was the first time a Turkish aircraft fired an indigenously built air-to-air missile, guided by a homegrown radar system, and hit an aerial target. President Erdogan hailed the moment as proof of Turkiye's accelerating technological momentum. Days later, Boeing conducted a similar demonstration, but, unlike Kizilelma, the MQ-28 relied on external detection rather than its own sensors. Kizilelma can reach speeds close to Mach 1 and operate with a combat radius of roughly 500 nautical miles. Baykar says the program’s development has already surpassed $1 billion, making it one of the largest investments in the Turkish defence industry.
Guests:
Yusuf Emir Isik
Defence Turk Chief Editor
Bilal Khan - Defence Analyst
Founder of Quwa Defence News & Analysis Group
Federico Borsari
Non-Resident Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program, CEPA (Center for European Policy Analysis)
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