Unmanned Fighter Jet Hits Production Line: Turkey’s Baykar

Turkish firm Baykar that produces Bayraktar TB2 combat drones said the first prototype of the company-developed unmanned fighter jet has entered production line.

"A larger and more agile fish has entered the production line three and a half years later," Selçuk Bayraktar, chief technology officer (CTO) at Baykar, posted on Twitter.

He was referring to the period when Baykar started manufacturing its landmark combat drone Akıncı, dubbed "the flying fish."

The National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System (MIUS) has been named Kızılelma ("Red Apple"), the official added. It will likely make its first flight by the end of 2023.

MUIS will be jet-powered and is expected to be capable of taking off from and landing on Turkey’s flagship-to-be amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu.

The autonomously maneuvering MIUS will be capable of operating in tandem with piloted aircraft, and may carry air-to-air missiles, the company says.

It is projected to conduct a multitude of military actions, such as strategic offensives, close air support (CAS), missile offensives, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) and destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD).

Baykar in November 2021 signed a contract with Ivchenko-Progress, one of the leading Ukrainian companies for the procurement of engines for the MIUS. Ivchenko-Progress was projected to supply the AI-322F Turbofan engine for the jet under the agreement.

The aircraft is set to feature a high operational altitude and take-off weight of 5,500kg. It is envisaged to carry 1.5 tons of useful payload. It is projected to be capable of flying for five hours and reaching speeds of up to Mach 0.64.