The Bayraktar Kızılelma, an unmanned fighter aircraft developed by Turkish defense company Baykar, has achieved yet another world first by integrating a domestically developed low-observable electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) on its platform, the firm said.
The Toygun EOTS, developed by Turkish defense and electronics giant Aselsan and found only on the most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets, has been successfully integrated into an unmanned fighter aircraft for the first time in the world, Baykar said.
Like this, Kızılelma “has successfully tested another critical capability that will carry Türkiye into a new league in aviation,” it added.
The company shared the milestone with the title “Stealth eye for Bayraktar Kızılelma!”
Moreover, the maker of popular Bayraktar TB2 drones said that the development process of the indigenous unmanned fighter progresses “as planned,” suggesting that the successful integration of Toygun, Aselsan’s most advanced product in the infrared (IR) band, will provide Kızıelma “with major operational advantages.”
“The system demonstrated outstanding performance during two separate flight tests conducted within the last week at the Akıncı Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu,” the company noted.
“The tests successfully validated stable image generation at various altitudes and speed regimes, long-range tracking stability on moving targets, and high-accuracy laser designation functions. It was confirmed that the system maintained seamless data exchange with Kızlelma’s integrated mission computer and preserved its performance even under demanding environmental conditions. The results also showed that all technical criteria required to proceed with serial integration have been fully met,” it explained.
Türkiye’s first indigenously developed and produced unmanned fighter jet, Kızılelma, completed its first flight test in late 2022 and is seen as one of the most notable additions to the country’s growing defense portfolio.
Toygun, on the other hand, is classified as an electro-optical imaging and targeting solution for the aircraft, where Radar Cross Section (RCS) and Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient are critical. “The system can offer targeting solutions for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Integrated into the aircraft fuselage, the system is protected from external influences by the faceted optical window specifically designed for the platform,” according to its maker, Aselsan.
World first
“This test marks the first time globally that ’embedded EOTS’ technology has been implemented on an unmanned fighter aircraft,” said Baykar.
An electro-optical targeting system is a system employed to track and locate targets in aerial warfare.
“While platforms like the F-16 carry targeting systems as external pods, concealing this system inside Bayraktar Kızılelma’s airframe is critical for its low radar cross-section (low observability) capability,” it added.
Moreover, Baykar said that this advanced electro-optical targeting system, concealed within the airframe, currently exists on manned aircraft only on fifth-generation platforms such as the U.S.-made F-35.
“With the successful integration of this technology onto Bayraktar Kızılelma, Türkiye has become one of only three countries in the world to possess this critical capability,” it said.
AI-enabled next-generation capabilities
Developed with a specialized engineering approach tailored for Bayraktar Kızılelma, Toygun includes optimizations unique to the unmanned combat aircraft concept, the company stated.
The system offers wide-spectrum scanning capabilities, contributing to 360-degree situational awareness. Its high-resolution IR imaging enables the detection of strategic targets and moving ground/sea elements from long distances. Moreover, AI-supported target tracking and automatic target classification algorithms enhance the jet’s autonomous mission performance.
“Thanks to this capability, Kızıelma will be able to penetrate hostile airspace without compromising its low-observable profile. It will detect targets without being caught by radar, designate them with laser guidance, and neutralize them using indigenous munitions.”
Export leader
Baykar has carried out all its projects with its own resources from the outset. Since beginning its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) R&D activities in 2003, 83% of all its revenues have come from exports.
In 2023, Baykar achieved exports worth $1.8 billion, placing it among Türkiye’s top 10 exporting companies across all industries. As the world’s largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles, Baykar continued its global success in 2024 as well, generating 90% of its revenues from exports and once again achieving $1.8 billion in export sales.
Ranking among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters across all sectors in 2023 and 2024 and receiving the “Champions of Export” award, Baykar has been the export leader of the defense and aerospace sector in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, according to data from the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM).
Baykar accounted for one-third of the entire sector’s exports in 2023, and one-quarter in 2024, making Türkiye the global leader in UAV exports. As the world’s largest UAV company, it has signed export agreements with 37 countries to date, 36 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 and 16 countries for the Bayraktar Akıncı drones.
Source: Daily Sabah
