Bayraktar Kızılelma

Overview

The Bayraktar Kızılelma (English: Red Apple) is a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable, jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), currently in development by Turkish defense company Baykar. 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, with the latter having a twin-engined configuration. It is one of the two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAVs, along with the TAI Anka-3. Baykar CTO Selçuk Bayraktar had initially announced that the Kızılelma was expected to take its maiden flight in 2023, adding that a jet-powered UCAV was a "12-year-long dream". The Kızılelma was able to complete its first flight ahead of the expected date, in December 2022. After Baykar decided to form a partnership with Leonardo in the field of UAVs, 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.