- Baykar released footage showing the Kızılelma UCAV flying with two Gökdoğan air-to-air missiles mounted on its inner pylons.
- The company said the test included a Gökdoğan munition-linked flight trial and performance checks of the Murad AESA radar and EOTS.
Baykar has released new footage showing its jet-powered Kızılelma unmanned combat aircraft carrying two Gokdogan beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles mounted on the inner pylons, highlighting continued progress in Turkey’s effort to field an armed, fighter-class UCAV.
According to the company’s post on social media, the latest trials included what Baykar described as a “GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Test & EOTS–Murad AESA Radar Performance Test.”
The company shared video of the aircraft taking off with the missiles installed during what it referred to as the PT-5 phase of the program.
Kızılelma, designed and developed by Baykar, is a jet-powered UCAV intended for deep-strike missions in high-risk areas and for use as a loyal wingman alongside fifth- or sixth-generation fighter jets. As noted by the company, the platform is engineered to operate in roles usually reserved for piloted aircraft, including long-range strike, contested-airspace entry, and cooperative operations with manned fighters.
Baykar says the aircraft is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, an electro-optic suite, and infrared sensors. The company describes Kızılelma as “the world’s only jet UCAV with aerial missiles,” stating in its post that this makes the system “a true pioneer in a completely new category of aerial warfare.”
The company’s latest video shows the UCAV lifting off from a runway while carrying two Gökdoğan missiles, an air-to-air weapon developed domestically for beyond-visual-range engagements. The configuration indicates Baykar’s continued effort to integrate air-to-air weapons, a capability intended to give unmanned systems a more direct role in air combat operations.
Baykar has said in earlier program statements that Kızılelma is being designed for compatibility with a range of Turkish weapons and sensors. The aircraft is planned to support autonomous flight operations, including formation flight with piloted fighters, and is expected to operate from short runways and potentially from future naval platforms.
The new test footage appears to align with Turkey’s broader effort to develop high-end unmanned systems that can support or supplement manned aircraft. Gökdoğan missile integration also suggests a pathway for Kızılelma to carry out air defense or air control missions in addition to strike operations.
As the program advances through flight-test stages, Baykar continues to present Kızılelma as a core asset for future air operations, especially as Turkey transitions toward greater use of autonomous systems across its defense forces.