Baykar aims to begin first serial deliveries of unmanned combat aircraft this year: CEO

ISTANBUL

Turkish defense company Baykar aims to begin the first serial deliveries of its Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft this year, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said on May 9.

Speaking at Anadolu’s Technology Desk during the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul, Bayraktar said KIZILELMA continues to undergo intensive flight testing as the company moves toward serial production.

“We aim to carry out the first serial deliveries within this year,” he said.

Bayraktar, who also serves as chairman of SAHA Istanbul, said the development reflected the transformation of Türkiye’s defense industry over the past two decades.

He noted that SAHA Istanbul was founded in 2015 with 27 members to strengthen localization efforts in the defense and aerospace sectors under Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative.

“In 2002, there were at most around 20 defense industry companies in Türkiye. Today, in 2026, we are talking about more than 3,000 companies serving the defense sector,” he said.

Bayraktar said Turkish defense exports rose from $250 million to more than $10 billion last year, with a target of $13 billion this year.

He added that SAHA Istanbul has grown into Europe’s largest industrial cluster, now exceeding 1,300 members and including more than 30 universities.

Bayraktar said this year’s SAHA exhibition attracted strong participation from Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

According to Bayraktar, more than 196 signing ceremonies were held during the exhibition and export agreements worth $8 billion were signed.

He said Turkish defense company ARCA Defense accounted for $4.3 billion of the agreements, while Baykar signed the first export contract for KIZILELMA.

“This is historically significant,” he said.

Bayraktar described KIZILELMA as the latest stage in a 25-year evolution of unmanned aerial vehicle technology.

“Currently, except for the engine, all systems of the aircraft have been developed domestically,” he said.

He noted that the aircraft first flew in December 2022 and has continued flight testing since then.

“With the AESA radar developed by ASELSAN and the air-to-air missiles developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, for the first time in the world, an air-to-air target was hit by an unmanned combat aircraft,” he said. “The first system to achieve this was KIZILELMA.”

Bayraktar said Indonesia had pushed for an agreement on KIZILELMA for about a year, but Baykar waited until the aircraft completed testing and initial domestic deliveries before signing the deal.

“We have signed the first export agreement for 12 Bayraktar KIZILELMA aircraft,” he said. “We aim to begin the first deliveries in 2028.”

Bayraktar said Baykar finances its research and development projects through export revenues and continues investing in space technologies through the Fergani Space initiative led by Selcuk Bayraktar.