Türkiye begins mass production of KIZILELMA combat drones 20 built for price of one F-16

Türkiye has launched mass production of its first domestically developed unmanned combat aircraft, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, with the first units set to enter service next year, Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar announced on August 2.

Speaking to Star, Bayraktar said the programme reflects Türkiye’s push for a fully independent defence industry, underpinned by homegrown engine technologies and critical software, Caliber.Az reports.

“Our priority is not only the systems themselves, but also a well-equipped generation. The added value of the engine is low, so we prioritise core software. For example, the radar developed by ASELSAN has a much higher added value,” he noted.

KIZILELMA, he stressed, is both a domestic and modern product. “Mass production began this year. The sixth KIZILELMA is now on the production line and will be delivered next year,” Bayraktar said.

He revealed that 20 KIZILELMA units have been produced for roughly the price of a single F-16 fighter jet — an aircraft widely purchased by numerous countries over decades and regarded as one of the most reliable in service.

The cost of manufacturing an F-16 by US defence giant Lockheed Martin is estimated at $60–70 million.

The KIZILELMA programme is viewed as a major milestone in Türkiye’s ambitions to bolster its air power with cutting-edge, domestically produced platforms, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and strengthening its position as a defence exporter.

By Aghakazim Guliyev