Türkiye successfully completes test of AI-enabled Kemankeş miniature cruise missile VIDEO

Türkiye has successfully completed a series of tests for the Kemankeş miniature cruise missile, a cutting-edge precision weapon developed by the Turkish defence technology company BAYKAR.

The company announced the successful trials via its official account on the social media platform X, Caliber.Az reports.

Bayraktar #KEMANKEŞ 1️⃣ 🏹🚀

✅ Yapay Zeka Tabanlı Mini Seyir Füzesi | Mini Cruise Missile with AI Tech. 🧠 🚀
✅ Atış, Seyir ve Dalış Testi | Firing, Cruise & Dive Test#MilliTeknolojiHamlesi 🌍🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/rkweZUKZkt

— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) April 20, 2025

The Kemankeş missile, equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence guidance system, demonstrated exceptional accuracy and operational effectiveness during the test phase. The performance marks a significant milestone in Türkiye's ongoing efforts to enhance its indigenous defence capabilities and signals new possibilities for the integration of AI in next-generation warfare systems.

The Kemankeş 1 is designed to be integrated with Baykar’s indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) platforms, including the Bayraktar AKINCI, Bayraktar TB2, and Bayraktar TB3.

The miniature ALCM features an endurance of approximately one hour and a mission range exceeding 200 kilometres.

Equipped with an AI-supported electro-optical guidance system, the Kemankeş 1 can identify and neutralize targets with precision even in challenging weather conditions.

It also incorporates an AI-supported autopilot system for autonomous flight operations and anti-jamming technology that enables mission execution despite electronic interference.

The system maintains full line-of-sight communication with its host platform, transmitting collected data and imagery to the ground control station.

Baykar first unveiled the Kemankeş 1 during TEKNOFEST 2023, held at Atatürk Airport from April 27 to May 1, 2023. The name “Kemankeş” draws inspiration from master archers in Turkish history known for their precision in hitting targets under challenging conditions.

The mini cruise missile is part of Baykar’s expanding portfolio of indigenous defense technologies. The company has developed all its projects using its own resources and has established itself as a leading exporter in Turkey’s defense sector.

Baykar has generated 83 per cent of its total revenue from exports since beginning its UAV R&D journey in 2003. The company achieved $1.8 billion in exports in both 2023 and 2024, with international sales accounting for 90 per cent of its revenue in 2024.

The Kemankeş 1 potentially adds another highly exportable product to Baykar’s growing catalog of unmanned systems and associated munitions.

Baykar Technologies is systematically transforming unmanned aerial systems from auxiliary assets into central platforms for military operations.

Through strategic innovations across multiple tiers, the company has created a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses various operational domains, from the carrier-compatible TB3 enabling naval power projection to the Akıncı’s long-range strike capabilities to the Kizilelma potentially taking on fighter roles.

Key technological enablers support this vision, including advanced munitions integration like the recently tested Kemankeş 1 AI-powered mini cruise missile, sophisticated multi-platform coordination demonstrated by TB2-TB3 cooperative targeting, and increasing incorporation of artificial intelligence for autonomous operations.

The strategic implications of Baykar’s approach include significant force multiplication through relatively lower-cost unmanned platforms, creation of asymmetric advantages against conventional defense systems, and enhanced expeditionary flexibility through carrier-capable drones.

With export agreements spanning 36 countries, Baykar’s vision for drone-centric warfare is gaining global traction, representing a potential shift that goes beyond technological evolution, but a widespread rethinking of combat operations among many militaries as they adopt these solutions.

The successful testing of the Kemankes represents a strategic advancement in modern warfare technologies, offering the Turkish Armed Forces a formidable tool in asymmetric combat scenarios and intelligence-driven operations.

A video of the missile test, showcasing its precision and maneuverability, has been shared by BAYKAR and is drawing significant attention across defence and technology circles globally.

By Vafa Guliyeva