Describing its drone technology as a big success, Turkey has claimed that its combat drone Bayraktar Kizilelma successfully locked and virtually killed an American F-16 fighter plane in a simulated test. This trial was conducted under high-altitude air combat simulation, in which the capabilities of both sides were tested. This success is being considered an important milestone for the Turkish government and defense industry.

Kizilelma’s strength shown in compatibility test
According to reports, this test was conducted with F-16 aircraft of the Turkish Air Force, with the aim of testing the readiness of Kizillema’s radar, data system and missile interface. In the simulation, the drone locked onto the F-16 at a distance of about 30 miles and achieved a virtual ‘direct hit’, which Turkey is presenting as a platform capable of modern air combat.

Is Turkiye satisfied with the performance?
During the test, the drone took off from the AKINCI Test Center in Korlu, Turkey and completed a flight of about 1 hour 45 minutes. With this, the total testing hours of Kizilelma exceeded 55 hours. Along with this, two F-16 aircraft were also included for radar validation.

Bayraktar #KIZILELMA PT-5

GÖKDOĞAN Munition Linked Flight Test & EOTS–Murad AESA Radar Performance Test#Baykar @Aselsan @SageTubitak#NationalTechnologyInitiative pic.twitter.com/yxKihysCxu

— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) November 18, 2025

AESA radar and data link technology was the main part of the test.
The main center of test was Murad AESA radar, which has been developed by Turkey’s ASELSAN. This radar identified the target at long ranges during flight and tracked and locked it. The drone then performed an electronic launch simulation of the Gokdogan BVR missile and sent information about the target’s position and speed through a real-time data link, after which the F-16 was shown to be virtually neutralised.

What is special in this drone?
Kizilelma has advanced technology compared to traditional drones, including low-visibility stealth design, AI-based autonomy and supercruise capability. Turkiye says it is capable of penetrating enemy airspace and attacking high-value air targets such as fighter aircraft and AWACS. There is also a plan to increase its strike radius to 1,000 km by adding additional payload in the future.

Claims better performance than F-35
Bayraktar, the manufacturer of Kizilelma, has already claimed that this drone can perform better than aircraft like the American F-35. The company has also said that its supersonic version will be prepared in the future, so that it will be able to compete directly with conventional fighter planes.