Turkey Plans Supersonic Unmanned Fighter Jet

Bayraktar Kızılelma is a jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) currently in development as part of Project MIUS By Sarah Simpson / 09 Jan 2023

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Baykar Plans Supersonic Unmanned Fighter Jet
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Turkish defense company Baykar plans to make a supersonic variant of its unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar Kızılelma.

Selçuk Bayraktar, chief technology officer (CTO) at Baykar noted; “we even plan to make a supersonic variant,” when speaking on the features of Kızılelma, Turkey’s first indigenously developed and produced unmanned fighter aircraft.

“Kızılelma will be able to fight against warplanes,” Bayraktar said, “its cruising time is several times longer compared to Baykar’s latest drone, the Akıncı unmanned combat aerial vehicle.”

The National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System (MIUS), named Kızılelma (Red Apple), with low detectability and hypersonic speed, is an extremely critical and strategic project by Baykar whose battle-proven combat drones already attract attention.

The jet-powered, single-engine, low-observable unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), is currently in development and is projected to be capable of flying for five hours and reaching speeds of up to 800 kph (500 mph or Mach 0.64).

The uncrewed fighter jet is designed to conduct a multitude of military actions, including:

  • Strategic offensives
  • Close Air Support (CAS)
  • Missile offensives
  • Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)
  • Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (DEAD)
Posted by Sarah Simpson Sarah has led content for Defense Advancement since its launch in 2020. With a deep interest in defense innovation and a background in research and technical copywriting, she has a passion for showcasing how technology directly contributes to protecting and saving lives, presenting new developments in a way that resonates with a highly specialized audience. Connect
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