Turkey’s Unmanned Fighter ‘Kizilelma’ Integrates Embedded Targeting System in Global First

Turkey’s first unmanned fighter, Bayraktar Kizilelm, a completed the integration and testing of an embedded electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) developed by on November 17.

Baykar announced that the TOYGUN EOTS has been fitted onto the unmanned fighter platform as part of ongoing development work. The system, created using domestic resources, is designed to provide imaging, tracking and laser designation functions without altering the aircraft’s low-observable structure.

Two flight tests were carried out over the past week at the Akinci Flight Training and Test Center in Corlu. According to technical data released by program officials, the trials verified image stability at different altitude and speed ranges, long-distance tracking of moving targets, and laser designation accuracy. The system maintained uninterrupted data exchange with the aircraft’s mission computer and met the requirements for serial integration.

The integration marks the first time an embedded EOTS has been used on an unmanned fighter aircraft. Comparable installations on manned aircraft are currently seen only on fifth-generation platforms, such as the U.S.-built F-35, where sensors are placed within the airframe rather than as external pods.

Program engineers stated that TOYGUN was designed with features tailored for unmanned operations, including wide-spectrum scanning and IR-based long-range detection intended to support 360-degree situational awareness. The system incorporates AI-enabled functions for target tracking and classification.

With the embedded sensor now operational on the platform, Bayraktar Kizilelma is expected to conduct targeting tasks while maintaining its low-observability profile, allowing it to detect, track and designate targets before releasing domestically produced munitions.