The Kizilema has been testing an AESA radar for some time, whereas a earlier prototype progressed from captive carry trials of air-to-ground munitions to live-fire in a matter of days.
Turkey’s Kizilelma UCAV has began captive carry trials with Gökdoğan BVR (Past Visible Vary) AAMs (Air-to-Air Missiles), whereas additionally testing the Murad-100A AESA (Lively Electronically Scanned Array) radar and the TOYGUN EOTS (Electro-Optical Monitoring System).
Developer Baykar and its chief expertise officer Selçuk Bayraktar launched three movies on Nov. 18, 19 and 20, 2025, exhibiting the take a look at flights. Whereas the primary two have been referred to as the “GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Take a look at & EOTS–Murad AESA Radar Efficiency Take a look at,” the third one was referred to as “F-16 Formation Flight, GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Take a look at & Murad AESA Radar Efficiency Take a look at.”
Bayraktar #KIZILELMA PT-5 ✈️🚀🍎
✅ GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Take a look at & EOTS–Murad AESA Radar Efficiency Take a look at#Baykar 🤝 @Aselsan 🤝 @SageTubitak#NationalTechnologyInitiative 🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/yxKihysCxu
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) November 18, 2025
Along with the formation flights with F-16s, the take a look at flight reportedly included a radar lock on the F-16 and a simulated missile hearth. It’s unclear whether or not a stay shot will observe quickly.
Nonetheless, provided that merely 10 days handed between Kizilelma’s carriage trials with the TEBER-82 and TOLUN air-to-ground munitions in late September and the live-fire exams in early October, that risk can’t be discarded both. The Kizilelma can be meant to fly off the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault drone service.
Kizilelma PT5, Murad AESA, Toygun EOTS and Gökdoğan BVR missile ☄️ pic.twitter.com/GdqFG8QKZD
— TR_tech (@T_Nblty) November 18, 2025
Whereas the TOLUN and TEBER-82 exams have been carried out with airframe TC-OZB3 (the third prototype or PT-3), the Gökdoğan was carried on the TC-OZB5 (PT-5) – Kizilelma’s most up-to-date prototype carrying the Aselsan-developed Toygun EOTS and Murad. The Murad-100A – additionally built-in on the Akinci and with a model meant to improve the Turkish Air Drive’s (TurAF) older F-16s – has been examined on the PT-5 Kizilelma for a while.
The take a look at
The movies confirmed the Kizilelma carrying a Gökdoğan on every wing, with the one on the starboard-side being partly coloured silver as a substitute of the orange paint scheme. Chased and recorded by an Akinci, the Kizilelma performs a collection of maneuvers earlier than coming in to land.
Bayraktar #KIZILELMA PT-5 ✈️🚀🍎
✅ GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Take a look at & EOTS–Murad AESA Radar Efficiency Take a look at#Baykar 🤝 @Aselsan 🤝 @SageTubitak#NationalTechnologyInitiative 🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/WBhbTniA3h
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) November 19, 2025
The trials might have concerned finding out the aerodynamic impression each the missiles and the Kizilelma have on one another’s airframes; whether or not the databus, electrical and digital interface permits the Murad 100-A to ‘discuss’ to the Gökdoğan; and the fusion between the Toygun EOTS and the Murad radar to find and observe targets.
Aselsan mentioned it can “proceed to supply force-multiplier capabilities to Bayraktar Kizilelma with game-changing programs.” Kemal Topalömer, director normal of Gökdoğan’s developer TÜBİTAK SAGE, mentioned the Kizilelma commencing flight exams with the missile displays Turkey’s “gathered engineering functionality, forward-looking imaginative and prescient, and technological ambition are opening the door to a brand new period in our nationwide airspace.
Bayraktar #KIZILELMA ✈️🚀🍎
✅ F-16 Formation Flight, GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Take a look at & Murad AESA Radar Efficiency Take a look at#Baykar 🤝 @Aselsan 🤝 @SageTubitak#NationalTechnologyInitiative 🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/M6zzDK1CoS
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) November 20, 2025
The Gökdoğan, powered by a solid-fuel rocket engine, has a variety of over 65 km and it has a solid-state energetic RF (Radio Frequency) seeker. A ‘lock on after launch’ mode is supported by a data-link to obtain goal updates from the launching plane. The missile additionally has “superior management algorithms.”
A live-fire take a look at would make the Kizilelma the primary UCAV to fireplace an air-to-air missile, assuming it does so earlier than Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat. In truth, Boeing Defence Australia introduced that it plans to launch an AIM-120 AMRAAM in December 2025.
Such a functionality could be necessary for Kizilelma as, in the usual CCA (Collaborative Fight Plane) function, it’s meant to fly alongside the Kaan fighter. The involvement of a pilotless goal drone may also validate the capabilities of the Gökdoğan, making the upcoming live-fire as its fourth recognized trial ejection.
Conclusion
There are additionally important industrial and status stakes driving on this system, given the appearance of unmanned uneven warfare necessitating the necessity for CCAs, and different international locations quickly advancing their very own CCA packages.
The YFQ-44A and the 2 prototypes of the YFQ-42A have to date flown solo, and haven’t but demonstrated MUM-T maneuvers with different plane. Solely the Chinese language GJ-11, the XQ-58A Valkyrie and the MQ-28A Ghost Bat have been managed by manned plane, however even these are but to exhibit advanced collaborative maneuvers.
İHA o anları özel olarak görüntüledi! Bayraktar KIZILELMA yeni bir dönemin kapısını araladı pic.twitter.com/vqcz8X0Auu
— İhlas Haber Ajansı (@ihacomtr) November 19, 2025
The rationale may have much less to do with expertise, and extra with how air forces are nonetheless determining the minor management, dealing with, logistical and operational ideas of CCAs, and establishing the ways for his or her use. We have no idea the extent of autonomous functionality within the Kizilelma UCAV, and if it is ready to detect and interact targets by itself.
Nonetheless, even a remotely-controlled AESA radar and BVR AAM-armed drone, or a gaggle of them, at standoff ranges go a good distance in limiting airspace for enemy fighters and cruise missiles. The AESA radar additionally provides a secondary AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) functionality. The Kizilelma carrying a long-range air-to-air missile is an indication of attention-grabbing issues to come back.
KIZILELMA’nın Gökdoğan füzesi ile buluştuğu anlar! Yeni bir dönemin kapısı aralandı pic.twitter.com/0QwY5YRs3B
— TGRT HABER (@tgrthabertv) November 19, 2025
It’s not for nothing that Leonardo has chosen the Kizilelma, together with the TB2, TB3 and Akinci UCAVs, to be manufactured in Italy by its LBA Programs three way partnership with Baykar. The probably closely Europeanized model of the Kizilelma is more likely to be pitched as a collaborative fighter for the GCAP, and even marketed internationally.
