Bayraktar Kızılelma

The Bayraktar Kızılelma (English: Red Apple) is a single-engine, low-observable,^[3] carrier-capable,^[4][5][6] jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), currently in development by Turkish defense company Baykar.^[7][4] The aircraft is being developed as part of Project MIUS (Turkish: Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi; English: Combatant Unmanned Aircraft System). The initial Bayraktar Kızılelma (Kızılelma-A) is subsonic. Planned variants (Kızılelma-B and Kızılelma-C) are intended to be supersonic, the latter having a twin-engined configuration.^[8] It is one of the two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAV along with TAI Anka-3.

Bayraktar Kızılelma
Role	Multirole unmanned combat aerial vehicle
National origin	Turkey
Manufacturer	Baykar
First flight	14 December 2022[1][2]
Introduction	2025 (expected)
Status	Flight tests in progress
Primary user	Turkish Armed Forces
Number built	4 prototypes

Baykar CTO Selçuk Bayraktar had initially announced that the Kızılelma was expected to make its maiden flight in 2023,^[3] adding that a jet-powered UCAV was a "12-year-long dream".^[9] The Kızılelma was able to complete its first flight ahead of the expected date, in December 2022.^[1][2]

After Baykar decided to form a partnership with Leonardo in the field of UAV,^[10] some aviation experts began to talk about the possibility that Kızılelma would be selected as the loyal wingman aircraft of the Global Combat Air Programme.^[11]

Development

The first conceptual studies for Bayraktar MIUS started in 2013. In July 2021, the first design images and information about the characteristics of the aircraft were shared with the public. Haluk Bayraktar stated that Baykar is considering spending $1 billion in the development process of project.^[12]

Engine selection

The AI-322 Turbofan Engine Supply Agreement and AI-25TLT Turbofan Engine Integration Agreement were signed between Baykar and Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress at the SahaExpo event in November 2021. The first prototypes will go at subsonic speeds using AI-25TLT engines. The next prototypes are expected to be supersonic with AI-322F engines.

Disclosure of the project name

The project was initially known as MIUS (Turkish: Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi English: Combatant Unmanned Aircraft System). Its official name, Kızılelma (Red Apple in Turkish) was made public in March 2022.

Prototypes

Andriy Yermak in front of the Kızılelma

On the same day of the name disclosure, Selçuk Bayraktar revealed that the first Kızılelma prototype has entered the assembly line.^[13][14] The first ready-to-fly prototype was displayed to the public in Teknofest 2022.^[15] The third prototype, which is considered the production prototype, successfully completed its first flight on September 25, 2024 from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu.^[16] This prototype, with tail number TC-ÖZB3, featured significant structural and airframe differences from the original, including an afterburning engine, aerodynamic improvements, and an updated avionics architecture.^[17]

Beginning of the testing process

• The first engine integration test was successfully conducted on 19 September 2022.^[18]
• On 20 November 2022, automatic taxiing and ground running tests were carried out.^[19]
• Take-off test flights began on 3 December 2022 and Kızılelma cut its wheels off the ground for the first time.^[20]
• The aircraft made its maiden flight on 14 December 2022.^[1][2][21]
• The drone successfully made its second flight in mid-January 2023.^[22]
• 15 April 2023, aircraft completed its fourth flight test.^[13]
• 18 April 2023, aircraft completed its flight test with landing gear folded inside the fuselage .^[14]
• 19 April 2023, aircraft completed its sixth and seventh flight tests with serial landing-take-off and high-speed flight trials.^[23]
• 20 April 2023, aircraft completed its eight flight test with high-speed flight and maneuver trials, as well as serial landing-take-off and passing trials.^[24]
• 30 April 2023, the Kızılelma UCAV flew in formation with a SoloTürk F-16C during TEKNOFEST 2023 in Istanbul.^[25] The Kızılelma UCAV is designed to be used as a loyal wingman by the combat aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.^{[26][clarification needed]}
• 17 June 2023, Turkish UAV Bayraktar KIZILELMA reached an altitude of 9.5 km during the 12th test flight.^[27]

Production

In October 2024, Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar announced that mass production of Kızılelma had begun, with one vehicle already produced. The company aims to achieve production of over 10 units by 2026.^[28]

Design

Airframe

TCG Anadolu (L-400) amphibious assault ship (LHD and V/STOL aircraft carrier) of the Turkish Naval Forces, anchored at the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Baykar Kızılelma, developed as part of Project MIUS for the Turkish Navy and Turkish Air Force, is a jet-engined UCAV designed to operate on TCG Anadolu.^[29][6][5] Its maiden flight took place on December 14, 2022.^[29][30][31] TCG Anadolu was commissioned on April 10, 2023.^[32][33]

Baykar MIUS Kızılelma UCAV on TCG Anadolu

The Kızılelma is an unmanned aircraft featuring a low-RCS supersonic airframe equipped with an AESA radar.^[34] The aircraft is powered by a turbofan engine fed by two air inlets. Yaw control is achieved with two vertical stabilizers. The aircraft has coupled-canard controls for increased maneuverability or better controlling the main wing airflow. Internal compartments will allow the aircraft to operate in contested environments while sustaining low observability.^[35][3]

The aerodynamic controls feature canards-delta configuration, previously seen on certain stealth aircraft such as the Chengdu J-20 and the AVIC Dark Sword. The canards offer a trade-off between relatively less stealth but great maneuverability. Some control measures could be implemented to reduce its impact on radar signature.^[36]

The Kızılelma has a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 6,000 kilograms (13,200 lb), with 1,500 kg of weight available for the payload. According to data shared by the company, the Kızılelma will have an operational altitude of 35,000 feet (10,670 m).^{[citation needed]}

The production prototype incorporates an AESA radar, likely the MURAD-200A, for improved situational awareness. It also features provisions for defensive and survivability suites such as Aselsan's KARAT-100 Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST), TOYGUN-100 Electro-Optical Tracking System, a Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and an IRIS Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS).^[17]

Carrier capability

The aircraft is designed in a way that makes it capable to takeoff and land on an amphibious assault ship, such as the TCG Anadolu, without any need for a catapult system.^{[29][37][6][5]}

Variants

During Teknofest 2022, Baykar announced that there will be at least 3 variants of Kızılelma with different engine configurations. The engines are produced by the Turkish-Ukrainian joint venture Black Sea Shield.^[38][39][40] Kızılelma-A will be capable of near-supersonic speeds, being powered by the AI-25TLT engine. Kızılelma-B will fly at supersonic speeds, powered by a single Ukrainian AI-322F engine.^[41][42] The Kızılelma-C will incorporate two AI-322F engines.

While the production prototype uses a Ukrainian AI-322 afterburning engine, allowing it to approach sonic speeds with improved maneuverability at high speeds. Baykar has stated that there will be several types of engines available for Kızılelma within 5–6 years, aiming to reduce foreign dependency.^[17]

Features

Baykar MIUS Kızılelma UCAV on TCG Anadolu

• Satellite control
• Fully-autonomous takeoff and landing
• Low radar cross-section
• High maneuverability
• Line Of Sight (LOS) and Beyond LOS (BLOS) controlled
• Takeoff and landing capability from short-runway aircraft carriers
• High situational awareness with AESA radar
• Internal weapons bays

Operators

Planned operators of Bayraktar Kızılelma

 Turkey [unknown]^[43]

• Turkish Air Force
• Turkish Navy

Potential operators

•  Somalia [first expected export costumer]^[44][45]

Specifications (Kızılelma-A)

Data from Baykar Technology

General characteristics

• Capacity: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
• Length: 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
• Height: 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
• Max takeoff weight: 5,987.4^[46] kg (13,200 lb)
• Fuel capacity: unspecified Jet-A1 or JP-8 fuel capacity
• Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLT Turbofan engine, 16.9 kN (3,790 lbf) thrust - no afterburners (Kızılelma-A).
• Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko-Progress AI-322F Turbofan engine, 24.5 kN (5,510 lbf) thrust dry, and 9,900 lbf (44 kN) with afterburner (Kızılelma-B).

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,100 km/h (680 mph, 590 kn) 0.9 Mach
• Cruise speed: 735 km/h (457 mph, 400 kn) 0.6 Mach
• Combat range: 930 km (580 mi, 500 nmi) on internal fuel
• Endurance: 5-6 hours
• Service ceiling: 14,000 m (45,000 ft)
• Operational altitude: 11,000 m (35,000 ft)

Armament

• Hardpoints: 2 × internal stations (expected), 6 × external stations on wings (expected)
• Guided rockets
  • CIRIT
• Missiles
  • Air-to-air missiles
    • Gökdoğan BVR AAM
    • Bozdoğan AAM
    • Akdoğan AAM
    • Gökhan AAM
  • Air-to-surface missiles
    • SOM air-launched cruise missile
    • TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN-TJ Turbojet-powered, air-to-surface missile^[47]
    • TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN-KY Solid fuel rocket-powered, air-to-surface missile^[47]
    • TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN-ER, Turbojet-powered, air-to-surface missile (According to TUBITAK-SAGE, this missile will be equivalent to Penguin Missiles.)^[48]
    • TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN-EW, Kuzgun-EW will be able to carry miniaturised EW payload which will act as a stand-in jammer and suppress enemy air defences to significantly increase the survivability of the aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.^[49]
    • L-UMTAS Air-to-surface, anti-tank guided missile
    • AKBABA, Air-to-surface, anti-radiation missile^[50]
    • ROKETSAN ÇAKIR, anti-ship, air-to-surface, surface-to-surface cruise missile.^[51]
    • TRG-230-iHA, Supersonic, air-to-surface missile^[52]
• Bombs
  • Teber-81 (Mark 81 bomb w/ ROKETSAN Laser Guidance Kit)
  • HGK-82 (Mark 82 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Precision Guidance Kit)
  • KGK-82 (Mark 82 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Wing Assisted Guidance Kit)
  • Teber-82 (Mark 82 bomb w/ ROKETSAN Laser Guidance Kit)
  • HGK-83 (Mark 83 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Precision Guidance Kit
  • KGK-83 (Mark 83 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Wing Assisted Guidance Kit)
  • HGK-84 (Mark 84 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Precision Guidance Kit)
  • LHGK-84 (Mark 84 bomb w/ TUBITAK-SAGE Laser Sensitive Guidance Kit)
  • TUBITAK-SAGE TOGAN^[53] Rack of four 81 mm mortars (GPS/INS or unguided)^[54][55][56]
  • TUBITAK-SAGE KUZGUN-SS Glide bomb^[47]
  • Aselsan Miniature Bomb (MB)^[57]
  • SARB-83 Bunker buster
  • NEB-84 Bunker buster^[58]
  • TUBITAK-SAGE BOZOK^[59]
  • MAM-C
  • MAM-L
  • MAM-T

Avionics

• National AESA Radar
• Aselsan Common Aperture Targeting System
• Electronic Warfare Pod
• National SIGINT module

See also

Other UCAVs of Turkey

• Bayraktar TB2
• Bayraktar TB3
• Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı
• TAI Anka
• TAI Aksungur
• TAI Anka-3
• Vestel Karayel

China:

• FH-97A(2022)
• WZ-8(in service since 2018)
• MD-22(2022)
• FL-71(2018)
• AVIC Dark Sword(2006)

USA:

• Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie(2016)
• Boeing MQ-25 Stingray(2013)

Australia :

• Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat(2019)

India:

• HAL Combat Air Teaming System(2017)