Baykar Plans to Make Supersonic Variant of Unmanned Fighter Jet Kizilelma

Turkish drone magnate Baykar plans to make a supersonic variant of its unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar Kizilelma, the chief technology officer (CTO) of the company said.

Selçuk Bayraktar was speaking on the features of Kizilelma, Türkiye's first indigenously developed and produced unmanned fighter aircraft, during a broadcast.

Kizilelma will be able to fight against warplanes, Bayraktar said, besides, its cruising time is several times longer compared to Baykar’s latest drone, the Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), he said.

“We even plan to make a supersonic variant,” Bayraktar noted.

The National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System (MIUS), named Kizilelma (Red Apple), with low detectability and hypersonic speed, is an extremely critical and strategic project by Baykar whose battle-proven combat drones already attract great attention worldwide.

The uncrewed fighter jet is projected to conduct a multitude of military actions, such as strategic offensives, close air support (CAS), missile offensives, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) and destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD).

It is projected to be capable of flying for five hours and reaching speeds of up to 800 kph (500 mph or Mach 0.64).

'New Baykar story'
Bayraktar further said that following Kizilelma, they are to start their space-related initiative and that they have goals to achieve for the next five to 10 years.

“Our aim is to develop a communication and global positioning system with low orbit constellations, as well as to develop orbital transfer vehicles,” he said.

Bayraktar said that they started the space initiative about six months ago and that “a new Baykar story will emerge from there.”