New Turkish Baykar Drone Makes its First Flight

The Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma, Turkish carrier-capable uncrewed combat aerial vehicle equipped with a Ukrainian Motor Sich engine, successfully performed its first flight, reported Selcuk Bayraktar, the technical director of the Turkish Company Baykar, on his Twitter feed.

"Today, our unmanned fighter aircraft Bayraktar Kizılelma has successfully performed its first flight. Our country has taken another step in the direction of combating unmanned fighters. " Selçuk Bayraktar said.

The new drone is equipped with a turbojet engine produced by Ukrainian manufacturer Motor Sich and can reach a maximum speed of 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) per hour. The maximum flight duration is five hours, and the flight height limit is 12 kilometers. The combat load of the fighter drone is one ton.

Production of Kızılelma and other Baykar drones is planned to be deployed in Ukraine at the company's research and production center.

The construction of a plant to produce Bayraktar attack drones in Ukraine is planned to launch in 2023. The company, Baykar, has already registered in Ukraine and purchased a land plot for construction.

In February, during a meeting of the presidents in Kyiv, Ukraine and Turkey signed an agreement that expanded the production of uncrewed aerial vehicles by the company Baykar in Ukraine.

On Aug. 3, 2022, the Baykar Director Haluk Bayraktar and Come Back Alive Foundation Director Taras Chmut signed a memorandum of further partnership in Istanbul.

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