Türkiye tests KIZILELMA unmanned jet with F-35-level targeting system PHOTO / VIDEO

The Turkish defence company Baykar has successfully tested the fifth prototype of the Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft equipped with an F-35-grade targeting system.

The integration of the TOYGUN electro-optical targeting system, developed by ASELSAN, into the Bayraktar KIZILELMA UCAV has been successfully completed, Caliber.Az reports, citing Türkiye’s defence industry news platform.

KIZILELMA durmuyor! 🇹🇷🍎

— MURAD AESA Radar ile uçuşları sürdüren Bayraktar KIZILELMA İnsansız Savaş Uçağı, bu sefer Düşük Görünürlüklü Elektro-Optik Hedefleme Sistemi (EOTS) ASELSAN TOYGUN ile havalandı!

— TOYGUN, hava-hava ve hava-yer angajmanlarında kullanılabiliyor. pic.twitter.com/VKfV8e2MBR

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) November 17, 2025

Two separate flight tests were carried out last week at the AKINCI training and testing center in Çorlu, confirming stable imaging at various altitudes and speeds, consistent tracking of moving targets at long distances and high laser-targeting accuracy.

The system ensured uninterrupted data exchange with KIZILELMA’s onboard computer and remained operational in challenging environmental conditions. Test results showed that all technical criteria required for sequential integration were met.

These trials mark the world’s first use of “embedded EOTS” technology on an unmanned combat aerial vehicle. While fighters such as the F-16 carry targeting systems in external pods, placing the system inside the Bayraktar KIZILELMA fuselage is crucial for maintaining low radar visibility.

The TOYGUN EOTS enables KIZILELMA to perform enhanced target acquisition while retaining effectiveness in low-visibility conditions.

The advanced internally-mounted electro-optical targeting system is found only on fifth-generation platforms, including the F-35. With its successful integration into KIZILELMA, Türkiye has become one of just three countries worldwide with this capability.

Designed through a specialised engineering approach tailored to KIZILELMA, TOYGUN features optimisation compatible with unmanned combat concepts.Its wide-band scanning capabilities provide all-around situational awareness, while high-resolution infrared imaging allows detection of strategic targets and moving land and sea objects at long ranges.

AI-based tracking algorithms and automatic target classification further strengthen KIZILELMA’s autonomous performance.

By Jeyhun Aghazada