Turkish UAV Kızılelma with Ukrainian engine AI-322F successfully passes another test
The Turkish company Baykar has conducted a new stage of testing of its promising Bayraktar Kızılelma combat drone - this time, the fourth flight prototype PT4, equipped with a Ukrainian jet engine, was tested.
Here's What We Know
Selçuk Bayraktar, the company's technical director and co-owner, announced the successful tests. The tests took place at the AKINCI flight training test centre. The PT4 is the first prototype to be equipped with the AI-322F turbojet engine developed by the Ukrainian state-owned enterprise Ivchenko-Progress.
The first Kizılelma prototypes flew with the less powerful AI-25TLT, but the gradual introduction of the new engine allows for a significant increase in the drone's combat performance, including increased thrust, speed and payload.
The cooperation between Baykar and Ivchenko-Progress was formalised in 2021 during the Saha Expo defence exhibition, and Turkey continues to use Ukrainian developments despite exploring alternatives in parallel.
The MIUS (Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi) project started in the 2010s, and its concept was first made public in 2013. After almost a decade of development, the first flight of Bayraktar Kızılelma took place in 2022, ahead of the planned 2023. In 2023, the drone flew in conjunction with an F-16C fighter jet.
Bayraktar Kızılelma is designed to operate on the front line, including from the decks of aircraft carriers, and has a number of characteristics that bring it closer to manned fighters. It will be used for air combat missions, strikes against ground targets and interaction with other aircraft platforms.
Source: Baykar
