Türkiye's first unmanned combat aircraft, Bayraktar Kızılelma, achieved a new milestone as it struck a jet-powered target aircraft with a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile, marking a first in the world, its developer Baykar said on Sunday.
"For the first time in the world, an unmanned combat aircraft struck its target with a BVR air-to-air missile," the company said in a post on Turkish social media platform NSocial.
According to a statement from Baykar, Kızılelma launched the locally developed Gökdoğan air-to-air missile, striking the high-speed jet target with pinpoint accuracy.
The missile was fired from under the wing of the uncrewed fighter jet after the target was detected and tracked using Aselsan's Murad AESA radar, also domestically made.
This marked the first time in Turkish aviation history that a national aircraft fired a domestically produced air-to-air missile, guided by a national radar, at an aerial target.
The successful engagement established Kızılelma as the first and only uncrewed platform worldwide with verified air-to-air combat capability.
It was also the latest in a series of tests conducted by Kızılelma this month, including the one in which it locked onto a target F-16 aircraft.
The new test, conducted over the Black Sea near the Sinop province and reported Sunday, was described as "another first" and one that reflected "Türkiye's long-term aerospace vision."
The test also featured five F-16 fighter jets from Merzifon Air Base conducting formation flights with Kızılelma in a joint crewed-uncrewed operation, demonstrating future air combat concepts.
A Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) accompanied the mission, recording the event from the air, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report said.
Bayraktar Kızılelma is the flagship aircraft of Turkish defense major, Baykar, worldwide-renowned for its drones, mainly Bayraktar TB2.
Kızılelma's low radar cross-section and advanced sensors enable it to detect enemy aircraft from long distances without being seen.
The platform integrates cutting-edge technologies such as the Murat AESA radar and Toygun targeting system and can deploy a wide range of domestically produced munitions. In earlier tests, it had achieved direct hits with TOLUN and TEBER-82 munitions.
The latest air-to-air strike demonstrates its operational capability for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions, further expanding its role in Türkiye's defense strategy.
The development was interpreted by analysts as more than a technological milestone. Defense experts said the achievement marked a major step in the country's push for autonomous air combat capabilities.
"Today, we have opened doors to a new era in aviation history," Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar's chair and chief technology officer, said in a video shared to mark the occasion.
"For the first time in the world, an unmanned combat aircraft fired an air-to-air missile with radar guidance and hit an aerial target with perfect accuracy," he added.
"Praise be to Allah that Türkiye became the first country in the world to achieve this."
Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar's CEO, described the event as a turning point. "With a national aircraft, national radar, and national missile, we completed every link in the air-to-air engagement chain using fully domestic capabilities."
"This pride belongs to our nation," he stressed.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır echoed the sentiment, calling the success a global first and noting that Türkiye's national technology capacity had reached a level capable of "rewriting the rules of air superiority."
