Turkish defense firm Baykar has released footage dated October 6, 2025, showing its Kizilelma jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft carrying two ASELSAN TOLUN precision-guided bombs during a flight test. The trial marks a pivotal step toward achieving NATO-standard strike capability and operational maturity for Turkey’s national UCAV program.
The footage shows Kizilelma equipped with SADAK-4T smart external racks, confirming the first live carriage of precision munitions rather than aerodynamic dummy loads. This milestone represents a shift from flight envelope testing to armed system integration.
Developed under Turkey’s MIUS (Unmanned Combat Aircraft System) initiative, Kizilelma is designed to operate from short-runway amphibious assault ships such as the TCG Anadolu, providing a stealthy reconnaissance and strike capability. Future variants will include internal weapons bays, reducing radar signature and advancing the platform’s low-observable profile.
The ASELSAN TOLUN munition family—guided by GPS/INS and designed for soft and hardened targets—belongs to the same class as Western Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), allowing multiple weapons to be carried per sortie and enabling flexible target engagement in contested airspace.
Program documentation shows a phased propulsion evolution, with early prototypes powered by the AI-25TLT turbofan and later airframes transitioning to the AI-322F afterburning turbofan, increasing thrust and performance near supersonic speeds.
Baykar emphasizes that external pylons are an interim step to validate avionics and weapon release systems, with internal bay integration remaining a core production goal to ensure full stealth capability.
Defense analysts view the latest test as a strong signal of progress. Once Kizilelma achieves live weapon release, internal bay validation, and carrier launch certification, Turkey will stand among the few nations fielding a carrier-capable, stealth jet-powered UCAV — a milestone demonstrating the maturity of its domestic aerospace industry.
