Indonesia has reportedly become the first export customer for Turkey’s Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft, in what appears to be the latest indicator of growing defense ties between the two countries. This follows Jakarta’s signing as the first buyer of Turkey’s KAAN fifth-generation fighter.
Haluk Bayraktar, the CEO of Turkey’s leading aerospace firm, Baykar, and Norman Joesoef, chair of Indonesian defense group Republikorp, signed a deal for 12 Kızılelma aircraft at the ongoing SAHA 2026 defense fair on May 6, 2026. This is the first export contract for the aircraft, which Baykar has positioned as the world’s first unmanned fighter.
“We have signed an export agreement for Bayraktar Kizilelma for the first time, together with Indonesia,” Baykar CEO and SAHA Istanbul Chairman Haluk Bayraktar was quoted as saying by local media. ”We are proud of this on behalf of our country and our brotherly nation, Indonesia,” he added.
Hailing the defense ties between Ankara and Jakarta, the Baykar CEO described the deal as “historic” for both sides. The aircraft delivery is expected to commence in 2028, as noted by Bayraktar at the ceremony. Further, it covers a provision for 48 additional aircraft, as well as the establishment of production and maintenance facilities in Indonesia.
Interestingly, the Kizilelma is the fourth Baykar product that Indonesia has purchased, following the iconic, combat-proven TB2 and the Akinci drones. Additionally, Indonesia signed a deal to acquire 60 units of the TB3 carrier-based unmanned system, likely to be deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, which is being acquired from Italy.
Endonezya firması PT Republikorp ile Bayraktar #KIZILELMA anlaşması imzaladık.
İmzaladığımız anlaşmayla 12 adet #KIZILELMA İnsansız Savaş Uçağı, 2028 yılından itibaren Endonezya'ya teslim edilmeye başlanacak.
Bu anlaşmanın, Türkiye ile Endonezya arasındaki savunma sanayii… pic.twitter.com/XpvZEGE2tL
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) May 6, 2026
Baykar’s development of Kizilelma and other unmanned systems builds on the combat success of the TB2, as seen across different battlefields. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Baykar CEO emphasized that the Kizilelma represented the company’s advance into unmanned fighter jet technology.
Notably, the latest deal also signals the growing defense ties between the two countries. Last year, for instance, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed a contract to purchase 48 KAAN stealth fighters from Turkey, becoming the first export customer for the aircraft. This agreement represents Turkey’s largest defense export and includes co-production, technology transfer, and Indonesian involvement in development.
In addition to next-generation aircraft and a diverse set of unmanned combat systems, Indonesia is acquiring the MILGEM-class frigates, Kaplan medium tanks, HISAR surface-to-air missiles, Cakir anti-ship cruise missiles, ATMACA anti-ship missiles, and the KHAN ballistic missiles, among other arms, from Turkey.
Interestingly, several of these deals involved setting up local production, technology transfer, and maintenance facilities in Indonesia.
The increasing volume of arms purchases from Turkey is enabling Indonesia to supplement its military modernization efforts amid rising regional security challenges. Meanwhile, for Turkey, these arms sales serve as a gateway to the broader ASEAN (Southeast Asian) market, particularly as it has positioned itself as a major global arms exporter.
Moreover, large orders and co-production help fund Turkey’s own R&D and create economies of scale, making Indonesian purchases a major stimulus for Turkish industry.
“We can say that Indonesia is almost the locomotive of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. Considering its proximity to countries such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, it is an aircraft carrier for us,” Nuri Doğan Karadeniz, head of the Türkiye-Indonesia Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), had said earlier in a media interaction.
What Do We Know About The Kizilelma?
Bayraktar Kızılelma is Turkey’s first indigenous jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) or unmanned fighter aircraft, developed by Baykar Technology. The name of the aircraft, “Red Apple,” draws on a historic Turkish symbol of ultimate aspiration and conquest, underscoring the revolutionary nature of its technology.
“Bayraktar Kizilelma made its first flight in 2022. Since then, intensive flight activities have continued. Serial production was completed last year, and our goal this year is to place Kizilelma into service for Türkiye,” Bayraktar said at SAHA 2026.
The Kizilelma is a stealthy multi-role unmanned platform designed for air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), close air support (CAS), missile strikes, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD), among other things.
The platform integrates Artificial Intelligence and can be operated out of aircraft carriers, according to the manufacturer, although those capabilities are still being refined. Moreover, it can also potentially fly with KAAN in a manned-unmanned teaming configuration.
Bayraktar Kizilelma has a maximum takeoff weight of 8,500 kilograms, a payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms, an endurance of up to 5 hours, and a top speed of 800 kilometers per hour, or about Mach 0.64. The platform can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles, guided munitions, standoff weapons, and cruise missiles.
In November 2025, the UCAV executed a simulated air-to-air engagement, locking onto a fast-maneuvering F-16 fighter at an impressive 30-mile range before scoring a virtual direct hit, highlighting Kızılelma’s readiness to redefine modern aerial combat by seamlessly integrating indigenous radar, missiles, and data systems.
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
“The jet is said to be the first unmanned combat aircraft in aviation history to shoot down an aerial target detected by its own radar system (AESA) using its domestically produced air-to-air missile. With AI-supported autonomous formation flight and smart fleet operations, it is seen as shaping the future doctrine of aerial warfare,” states Turkish publication Daily Sabah.
The unmanned aircraft is equipped with the Aseslan MURAD AESA radar for high situational awareness and beyond-visual-range (BVR) targeting, along with electro-optical targeting systems, infrared search-and-track (IRST), and AI-enabled mission computers. Earlier, Baykar stated that Kizilelma will be managed by a satellite using the SATCOM antenna.
The aircraft’s design incorporates a low-radar-cross-section airframe with a canard-delta configuration. It has cantilevered vertical stabilizers and features for high maneuverability and short-runway operations.
The UCAV has a low-observable design, AI-assisted autonomy, and supercruise capability, enabling it to penetrate defended airspace and engage high-value targets, such as enemy fighters and AWACS platforms.
According to the manufacturer, it is expected to redefine modern aerial combat by seamlessly integrating indigenous radar, missiles, and data systems.
The platform will act as a force multiplier for Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific, especially for maritime patrol and deterrence in areas such as the Natuna Sea and the South China Sea, enabling stealthy penetration of air defenses and a persistent presence over vast archipelagic territory.
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