Baykar drones, especially the Bayraktar TB2, became famous during the war in Ukraine. Baykar got many new orders and is growing rapidly while developing new technologies. Baykar will be one of large defence companies that will make large investments in Ukraine, taking advantage of its industrial infrastructure.
Bayraktar Kızılelma resembles a fifth-generation STEALTH fighter jet. Image credit: Zizubv101 via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Turkish company Baykar, specialized in production of UAVs, signed a cooperation agreement with Ukraine. The details of the deal are not disclosed, but even before signing the contract, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha received a model of the Bayraktar Kızılelma jet drone with Ukrainian symbols as a gift from the general director of Baykar. In fact, there are many speculations that the production of the Kızılelma might start in Ukraine rather soon.
The Bayraktar Kızılelma is pretty much a fifth-generation fighter jet that does not require a pilot. In fact, it doesn’t even have a cockpit. It is hard to detect by radars due to its stealthy shape, it is large and very fast. It took off for its maiden flight in December 2022.
It is believed that Kızılelma will be introduced sometime in 2025. The Kızılelma is not supersonic according to current public data, but that may change soon, as it is very close to the speed of sound (it can fly at Mach 0.9). Kızılelma has impressive endurance too – it stays in the air for 5-6 hours. Its ceiling is 14 km and it can engage targets in the air, on land and at sea.
“Today is the 972nd day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine continues to defend itself. We are grateful to our Turkish partners for their solidarity and help. We need additional support from all our partners to defeat Russian aggression and restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace,” Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said. Sybiha also called on other Turkish companies to actively invest in Ukraine’s defence industry.
Back in February, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar announced that the company’s drone factory was being built in the Kyiv region. It was then said that it has not yet been decided which drones will be produced in Ukraine, but the plant’s capacity should come close to 120 drones per year. In February, when the plant was said to be being built, construction was thought to take only about a year. Kızılelma now appears to be part of the new deal, although this information is not official. However, it would be a very logical choice to make these drones in Ukraine.
Ukraine is a good customer of Baykar, maintaining relations with the company for a very long time. The relationship is mutual. Kızılelma uses an AI-322 turbofan engine manufactured in Zaporizhia. Also, Ukraine will be buying more drones in the future so why wouldn’t they be made locally?
Written by Povilas M.
