Baykar recently test-fired a Roketsan JET-230 aeroballistic missile or air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) from its Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
This would be another first for Baykar Group as, just late last year, it had also carried out the world’s first radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) launch from a Kızılelma UCAV.
Baykar’s Kızılelma Nears Full Air-Combat Capability
As Baykar progresses with integrating more air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions into the Kızılelma, it is reaching a point where other major air forces, such as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), can start evaluating the UCAV as a full-fledged air combat system. For the PAF, weapon testing is a crucial criterion.
Today, the Kızılelma is among the frontrunners of UCAVs of its size category (8.5 tons, larger than many of the loyal wingman designs emerging in other markets) in terms of its subsystems, sensors, and guided weapons integration work.
And with Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI) announcing that its TF-6000 turbofan engine (a 26.7 kN thrust design) will be ready for integration with the Kızılelma and Turkish Aerospace’s Anka-3 UCAVs in 2027, Baykar’s flagship is fast materializing into a factor that could shape air warfare trends fairly soon.
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