Turkey’s Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft has completed a milestone live-fire trial over the Black Sea, successfully striking a jet-powered aerial target with a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile for the first time, according to Turkish officials.
The test took place on November 29, 2025, near Sinop, and involved the Kizilelma using its onboard active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to track the target before launching a TÜBİTAK SAGE-developed Gökdoğan missile. The projectile scored a direct hit, marking what Turkish authorities describe as the first time a jet-propelled target has been intercepted by an unmanned combat aircraft using a BVR missile.
During the trial, the Kizilelma detected and tracked the target with the MURAD AESA radar developed by Aselsan. Once the radar provided targeting data, the aircraft launched a Gökdoğan missile from an underwing hardpoint. Turkish officials said the weapon successfully intercepted the high-speed target drone over the Black Sea test range.
In this demonstration, the drone flew in formation with five manned F-16s. Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, Combat Air Force Commander General Rafet Dalkıran, Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol, and Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar boarded the five F-16s that took off from Merzifon, personally observing the historic launch from the air.
From first flight to full combat capability
Kizilelma first flew in December 2022, marking Turkey’s entry into the world of jet-powered UAVs. Since then, it has progressively added combat capabilities, including weaponized flight tests earlier in 2025. The aircraft had previously demonstrated strikes with Tolun and Teber-82 guidance kits during air-to-ground missions. The new test confirms integration of indigenous key systems: radar, missile, and targeting.
With its low radar cross-section, AESA radar, and new BVR weapon capability, Kizilelma expands the role of unmanned combat aircraft beyond strike missions: it can now engage fast-moving aerial threats without a pilot on board.
Europe accelerates move toward unmanned combat
Europe’s landscape for future unmanned combat is expanding, driven by accelerating investment in AI-enabled teaming and independent UCAV development. During the Paris Airshow 2025, Baykar and Leonardo formalized their joint venture, LBA Systems, to produce European-certified unmanned aerial systems. The partnership could open new export or co-production avenues for Kizilelma as European air forces shift toward collaborative, AI-enabled air-combat architectures.
Baykar, developer of the TB2, Akinci, and Kizilelma platforms, has built much of its growth on international sales. The company reports that exports account for the majority of its revenues and says it has signed UAV agreements with 37 countries, including 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 and 16 for the Bayraktar Akinci.
Across Europe, several programs reflect the same broader movement toward unmanned and teamed combat operations. Helsing is developing the CA-1 Europa autonomous jet as a mass-produced UCAV, while Dassault Aviation and Airbus Defence and Space are advancing AI-enabled loyal-wingman concepts intended to operate alongside future variants of the Rafale and Eurofighter jets.
