Turkish fighter drone successfully completes flight test

A major breakthrough in Turkish defense technology was achieved as the production prototype of the Bayraktar Kizilelma, Türkiye’s first unmanned combat aircraft, successfully completed its maiden flight.

According to Baykar, prior to the flight, the prototype underwent rigorous testing, including engine startup, automatic taxiing, acceleration, and wheel liftoff. The successful completion of these tests paved the way for the historic first flight.

The first flight test of Bayraktar Kizilelma PT-3, conducted in the morning in Corlu. During the test, system identification activities were also successfully carried out.

The Bayraktar Kizilelma project first began in 2021, and the TC-OZB tail-numbered Bayraktar Kizilelma rolled off the production line on November 14, 2022, before being transferred to the Akinci Flight Training and Test Center in Corlu. After rapidly completing its ground tests successfully, it made its first flight in December, 2022. Bayraktar Kizilelma took to the skies in a record time of one year.

Bayraktar Kizilelma will be a revolutionary platform on the battlefield, especially with its ability to take off and land on short-runway ships, Baykar said.