Baykar’s Akinci Drone Fires AI-enabled Mini Cruise Missile

Baykar has advanced its missile testing campaign with a live-fire trial of the KEMANKEŞ 1, an AI-powered mini cruise missile launched from the Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).

The missile destroyed airborne targets with high precision during the mission conducted in western Turkey.

The test, jointly coordinated by Baykar’s Flight Test and Training Centers in Çorlu and Keşan, involved two KEMANKEŞ 1 missiles mounted under the AKINCI’s wings. Both were fired at moving targets towed by another drone. Using an AI-supported targeting system and electro-optical seeker, the missiles autonomously located and struck their targets, confirming full mission success.

KEMANKEŞ 1 debuted at TEKNOFEST 2023 in Istanbul. Designed by Baykar for deep-strike missions, the missile has a range of over 200 kilometers and can operate for approximately one hour. It uses artificial intelligence to navigate, identify, and engage targets under all weather and combat conditions.

The missile is being integrated onto the Bayraktar AKINCI, TB2, and upcoming TB3 platforms. Built with anti-jamming features and day-night targeting ability, KEMANKEŞ 1 maintains communication with its host UCAV to send real-time data to ground control stations. Baykar says it can function independently and carry out precision strikes against strategic threats.