Drones have come a long way since the technology was first developed decades ago. This is especially true for military applications. These days, there is an undersea drone that can latch onto any vessel. A combat drone in Turkey also recently performed a first when it shot down a jet-powered aircraft using a Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missile. Simply put, the drone couldn’t “see” the aircraft but still eliminated it.

This was actually performed in a test run that took place near the Black Sea and not in a real-world combat mission. The drone in question is the Bayraktar Kizilelma, and it used an air-to-air missile for the test run. During the run, the drone flew in formation with five F-16s and locked onto a high-speed aircraft using radar only. From there, a Turkish BVR missile took down its target. In fact, the missile, the drone, and even the radar used were all developed in Turkey. But that’s not the only fact that makes this event special.

For the most part, drone programs utilized by various military forces focus on air-to-ground missions. When an airborne drone engages another aircraft during flight, it’s considered a unique approach. The fact that this test run was successful could influence how military fighter drones operate moving forward. Additionally, this event marks the first time that a combat drone using a BVR air-to-air missile has ever shot down down another jet-powered aircraft.

The Bayraktar Kizilelma used a Gokdogan missile to do the job. This BVR weapon is equipped with an active radar seeker that allows it to lock on and track targets in real time. The missile is designed to counter both jamming technology and evasive maneuvers. With a range of over 40 miles, the Gokdogan can engage more than one target at a time from any angle. Plus, it can eliminate one target, then immediately move onto the next, thanks to its fire-and-forget capability. 

The country’s defense research and development institute, Turkey’s Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) SAGE, spent more than a decade developing this BVR weapon. These BVR missiles are also intended to be used with the country’s F-16 fighters. They can even be added to military interceptors. Since the test runs have proven successful, the program is expected to become an integral part of Turkey’s military presence moving forward.