Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned fighter aircraft, which Baykar has developed completely with its own resources, has successfully completed the Medium Altitude System Identification Test carried out within the scope of the test program.
According to Baykar’s statement, the tests of Bayraktar Kızılelma in the sky continue. In this context, Turkey’s first unmanned warplane made its third flight at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ.
20K FEET REACHED
In the third flight conducted under the management of Baykar Chairman of the Board and Technology Leader Selçuk Bayraktar, Bayraktar Kızılelma successfully completed the Medium Altitude System Identification Test by ascending to an altitude of 20 thousand feet. Bayraktar AKINCI, accompanying the flight test, watched Bayraktar Kızılelma in the sky with his camera.
“WE ARE TARGETING TO START MASS PRODUCTION OF KIZILELMA AT THE EARLY 2024”
Selcuk Bayraktar, whose views are included in the statement, stated that Bayraktar Kızılelma successfully completed the system identification test at medium altitude, “This is the third test we have carried out. Many tests will continue within the scope of our development activities from now on.” used the phrases.
Stating that they aim to start the mass production of Kızılelma at the beginning of 2024, Bayraktar said, “Besides, we are preparing for the first flight of Bayraktar TB3, which will be the first SİHA in the world that can land and take off on short-runway ships. All these developments are auspicious for our country and our nation. Hopefully, Bayraktar TB3 and Bayraktar Kızılelma will meet with our nation at TEKNOFEST, which will take place in Istanbul between April 27 and May 1. We send our entire nation to the place where the heart of technology beats, TEKNOFEST, the center of the National Technology Move, to Istanbul, to Atatürk Airport. we are waiting.” made his comment.
FLYING IN RECORD TIME
Bayraktar Kızılelma project, which Baykar set out with 100 percent equity capital, started in 2021. Bayraktar Kızılelma, with the tail number of TC-ÖZB, which came off the production line on November 14, 2022, was transferred to AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu. After successfully completing the ground tests here, it made its first flight on 14 December 2022. Bayraktar Kızılelma met with the sky in a record time like a year. It successfully completed the System Identification Test with its second flight on January 23, 2022.
Bayraktar Kızılelma will be a platform that will revolutionize the battlefield with its landing and take-off capability, especially for ships with short runways. Bayraktar Kızılelma, which has been developed to have the ability to land and take off on ships with short runways, such as the TCG Anadolu ship, which Turkey has built and is currently conducting cruise tests, will play an important role in overseas missions thanks to this capability. With this capability, it will have a strategic role in protecting the Blue Homeland.
Bayraktar Kızılelma will successfully perform the most challenging missions thanks to the low radar trace it will obtain from its design. Turkey’s first unmanned fighter aircraft, which is aimed to have a take-off weight of 6 tons, will use all nationally developed ammunition and will be a great power multiplier with a planned 1500 kilogram payload capacity. The unmanned fighter aircraft will also have high situational awareness with the national AESA radar.
BALANCES WILL CHANGE ON THE WAR FIELD
Bayraktar Kızılelma, which can perform air-air combat like manned warplanes with aggressive maneuvers, unlike unmanned aerial vehicles, will also provide effectiveness against air targets with domestic air-air ammunition. With these abilities, he will change the balance on the battlefield. It will have a multiplier effect on Turkey’s deterrence.
Baykar, as a result of a competitive process, left its American, European and Chinese competitors behind and started 2023 with the export contract for Bayraktar TB2 of 370 million dollars, with the agreement signed with the Kuwait Ministry of Defense.
Baykar, which has been carrying out all its projects with its own resources from the beginning to the present, has obtained 75 percent of all its revenues from exports since the beginning of the UAV R&D process in 2003.
In 2021, it became the export leader of the defense and aerospace industry, according to the data of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). Baykar, whose export rate was 99.3 percent in the contracts signed in 2022, made exports of 1.18 billion dollars. Baykar, which is the biggest exporter of the defense and aerospace industry, has a turnover of 1.4 billion dollars in 2022. Export agreements have been signed with 28 countries for Bayraktar TB2 SİHA and with 6 countries for Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA. (AA)