Two Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft, developed by Turkish engineers, have carried out the world’s first autonomous formation flight in their class, Anadolu Agency reported.
The milestone test was part of a program designed to evaluate an intelligent control system capable of coordinating groups of strike UAVs during joint missions.
According to Baykar, engineers continue to refine the capabilities of KIZILELMA — Türkiye’s first fighter-type UCAV — introducing advanced features and performance upgrades step by step.
During the trials at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, two different prototypes, PT3 and PT5, took off separately and executed synchronized maneuvers within the same airspace.
Using smart algorithms developed in-house, the two aircraft successfully maintained coordinated movement and flew in tight formation without any pilot input — a first in global aviation history.
This technological achievement paves the way for shifting complex operational tasks from manned to autonomous platforms. It enables a single operator to command multiple UAVs in joint missions while allowing the aircraft to automatically adjust their positions relative to each other.
