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ISTANBUL—Indonesia could become the first international customer for Baykar’s Kizilelma autonomous combat aircraft.
The Turkish airframer signed an agreement with Indonesian defense holding company PT Republikorp to provide 12 of the single-engine uncrewed combat aircraft for use by the Indonesian Armed Forces, with deliveries starting in 2028, Baykar announced May 6 at the Saha Expo defense fair here.
The agreement expands Republikorp’s existing relationship with Baykar. Both had signed joint venture agreements for Baykar’s TB3 and Akinci uncrewed aircraft systems in early 2025.
The deal is reflective of Indonesia’s growing defense relationship with Turkey, with Jakarta having also signed up to acquire the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan combat aircraft.
Baykar officials said they were hopeful the agreement would “contribute to further deepening the strategic defense industry cooperation between Türkiye and Indonesia.”
The Kizilelma—Turkish for “red apple”—emerged from Baykar’s MIUS project to develop an uncrewed fighter aircraft. Baykar markets it as less of a collaborative combat aircraft—like the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat—and more of an uncrewed fighter that could replace fleets of crewed fighters in the future. Republickorp officials speaking at Saha, however, said they saw the Kizilelma as part of a growing trend of autonomous combat aircraft operating alongside crewed fighters to increase combat mass and survivability.
Development of the combat aircraft is continuing.
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