Turkish firm Baykar develops kamikaze drone with 1,000km strike range

Turkish drone-maker Baykar has developed a new AI-powered loitering munition called MIZRAK.

The name MIZRAK — Turkish for spear — reflects both the weapon’s aerodynamic profile and its high-precision strike capability. The system comes in two primary configurations built around different warhead arrangements. The dual-warhead variant carries 40 kilograms of explosive payload for maximum destructive effect. The single-warhead configuration pairs 20 kilograms of explosive with a Radio Frequency seeker head, enabling precise autonomous target detection against radar-emitting systems and electronic assets. Both variants offer the operator a choice of electro-optical or infrared camera options for reconnaissance and surveillance, with the selection made based on mission type. The airframe spans four meters of wingspan — a size that puts it firmly in the category of capable tactical strike platforms rather than small expendable drones.

The range and endurance figures place MIZRAK in a class that changes what loitering munitions can threaten. The system achieves an operational range exceeding 1,000 kilometers with an airborne endurance of up to seven hours. Maximum takeoff weight is 200 kilograms, maximum speed reaches approximately 185 kilometers per hour — 100 knots indicated airspeed — and service ceiling is 10,000 feet. That combination of range, endurance, speed, and ceiling means MIZRAK can loiter over a target area far from its launch point, waiting for the right moment to strike, or fly a direct attack profile against a high-value target that would be inaccessible to shorter-range systems. Cross-border surveillance and immediate strike capability in a single airframe, at a range that covers substantial portions of a theater, represents a significant escalation in what a single loitering munition can hold at risk.

The GPS-denied operation capability is among the system’s most operationally significant features. MIZRAK is equipped with an AI-assisted autopilot and optical guidance system that enables fully autonomous operation in complex environments — and crucially, in environments where GPS signals are blocked or jammed. Sensor fusion and an integrated visual positioning capability allow the system to find and engage targets even in areas saturated with electronic warfare assets. Anti-jamming systems further enhance operational security. For a loitering munition operating at extended ranges deep in contested territory — where adversary electronic warfare capability is likely to be concentrated along the most valuable target sets — GPS-independent navigation is not a feature enhancement. It is the difference between a weapon that reaches its target and one that flies off course when an adversary activates its jamming systems.

The network integration that Baykar has built into MIZRAK reflects the company’s broader approach to unmanned systems as elements of a connected combat network rather than standalone platforms. MIZRAK communicates seamlessly with Bayraktar TB2, TB3, and AKINCI unmanned aircraft through Baykar’s digital data and video link architecture, enabling coordinated operations between the loitering munition and the larger UAVs that have established Baykar’s global reputation. Line-of-sight communication range exceeds 80 kilometers, and optional satellite communications support extends the network beyond line-of-sight limitations entirely. A MIZRAK operating 1,000 kilometers from its launch point can remain connected to the broader sensor and command network through satellite relay, receiving updated targeting data or mission changes while in flight.

The swarm operations capability adds another dimension to MIZRAK’s threat profile. Multiple systems operating in coordination — sharing targeting information, dividing attack roles, saturating a defensive system’s engagement capacity — represent a qualitative shift from single-munition employment. Swarm tactics have demonstrated their effectiveness in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East, and a loitering munition with AI-assisted autonomous target detection designed specifically for swarm operations gives an operator the ability to conduct coordinated multi-axis attacks against defended targets that a single munition could not defeat alone.

MIZRAK can take off conventionally from standard runways using its landing gear, and the addition of Rocket-Assisted Take-Off capability allows the system to launch from unprepared terrain or confined areas where a conventional runway is unavailable. For a weapon designed for long-range cross-border operations, the ability to launch from austere or improvised positions reduces the fixed infrastructure signature that adversary targeting systems look for.

Baykar has made its global reputation by building systems that work and then selling them to customers who need systems that work in actual conflict. MIZRAK, with its 1,000-kilometer range, GPS-denied autonomy, AI-assisted target detection, and demonstrated live-fire capability, is the next system in that lineage.