The Turkish unmanned fighter Bayraktar KIZILELMA, developed entirely with resources from manufacturer Baykar and touted as Turkey’s first operational unmanned combat aircraft, successfully carried out its first tethered flight test employing the TOLUN guided munition, developed by ASELSAN.
The test, highlighted by authorities as a technological and strategic milestone, confirmed the air-to-ground integration between the aircraft and a domestically produced munition — a step that, according to defense industry leaders, could influence future combat doctrines.
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“A strategic indicator”
In a statement, the President of the Defense Industries, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, described the test as more than a simple weapons integration. “This important test is not just about integrating a munition; it is a strategic indicator of the level our air-to-ground integration capability has reached. The picture that emerges when the accuracy of the TOLUN and the maneuverability of the KIZILELMA are combined is of a quality that will shape the combat doctrines of the future,” Görgün said.
In a post on his official account, Görgün also congratulated the companies involved and the professionals who worked on the project: “I sincerely congratulate our companies Baykar and ASELSAN who contributed to this success, and all our engineers, technicians and presidential staff who added value to the project with the sweat of their brows and minds; I hope that this capability, developed by the children of our nation, will be beneficial to the soldiers of our fully independent defense industry.”
About the TOLUN munition
The TOLUN is a guided munition integrated with a KKS/ANS (GPS/INS) system designed for air launch via the SADAK-4T multiple carriage station. Highlights released include:
- Allows carriage of 4 munitions per SADAK-4T station, enabling simultaneous strikes on up to 8 different targets in a single sortie (considering multiple stations).
- Declared range: 102 km with wings deployed.
- Designed to engage hard and soft targets, with the ability to penetrate reinforced concrete thanks to a penetrator nose capable of piercing up to 1 meter of reinforced concrete.
- Also intended for precision strikes with low collateral damage, making it suitable for use against strategic targets in areas with civilian presence.
- Guidance: GPS / INS (KKS / ANS).
Physical specifications and performance
- Weight: 139 kg
- Diameter: 17 cm
- Length: 180 cm
- Operational altitude: 0 – 40,000 ft (MSL)
- Warhead: 1-meter reinforced concrete penetration
Compatible platforms
According to published information, the TOLUN munition can be launched from various aerial platforms, including:
- F-16
- ADAM
- ANKA III
- K (designation incomplete in the source)
- Bayraktar KIZILELMA
Operational significance
The combination of the mobility and maneuvering capabilities of the KIZILELMA — a high-performance UCAV — and the accuracy and penetration of the TOLUN munition is presented by Turkish officials as a significant gain in the country’s technological autonomy in the field of guided weapons.
Authorities emphasize that such integrations can expand employment flexibility and deterrence capability in future operations.
Source and images: Baykar | ASELSAN. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
