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Baykar

Turkish UCAV maker; Bayraktar TB2 combat-proven in Ukraine; first Kızılelma exported to Indonesia, May 2026.

Last refreshed: 21 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Has Baykar's carrier-capable Kızılelma put Turkey into the same UCAV export league as the US and China?

Timeline for Baykar

#95 May

Signed first Kızılelma UCAV export contract with Indonesia and parallel Akinci deal with Saudi Arabia at SAHA 2026

Drones: Industry & Defence: Baykar sells first Kızılelma to Indonesia

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Common Questions

Who owns Baykar and makes the Bayraktar drones?

Baykar is owned by the Bayraktar family. Haluk Bayraktar is CEO and Selçuk Bayraktar (an MIT graduate) is CTO and lead developer; they took over following their father Özdemir Bayraktar's death in October 2021.Source: Wikipedia (Baykar)

Where has the Bayraktar TB2 been used in combat?

The TB2 has been used in Libya (from 2019 by the Government of National Accord), Azerbaijan (2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war against Armenian forces), and Ukraine (from 2022 against Russian forces).Source: Wikipedia, War History Online

What is the difference between the Bayraktar TB2 and the Kızılelma?

The TB2 is a tactical reconnaissance and strike drone of the UAV class; the Kızılelma is a full jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV) with an 8,500 kg MTOW, carrier capability, and internal weapons bays — an entirely different capability tier.Source: Baykar official, Wikipedia

Background

Baykar is a Turkish unmanned aerial systems company founded in Istanbul in 1984, led by the Bayraktar family, that makes the Bayraktar TB2, Akinci and Kızılelma UCAVs and has become a major global UCAV exporter with combat records in Libya, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

Baykar signed its first Kızılelma export contract with Indonesia and a parallel Akinci deal with Saudi Arabia at SAHA 2026 on 5 May 2026, extending its export reach across two continents. The Indonesia deal includes a local production centre — a manufacturing-transfer model familiar from its TB2 export playbook.

More questions

Why did Indonesia buy Turkish Kızılelma drones instead of Chinese ones?

Indonesia signed for 12 Kızılelma aircraft from 2028, including a local production and maintenance centre. The deal displaces Chinese CH-4 / Pterodactyl export competition in South-East Asia and gives Jakarta a sovereign carrier-capable UCAV capability with Turkish industrial support.Source: Lowdown event analysis

Source Material

Baykar Technology official website Baykar - Wikipedia

How the World Sees Them

China

Baykar's South-East Asian expansion directly competes with Chinese UCAV exports (CH-4, Pterodactyl); Indonesia's preference for Kızılelma over Chinese platforms signals a regional realignment in military-technology supply chains.

Turkey

Baykar's double signing at SAHA 2026 — Indonesia on Kızılelma, Saudi Arabia on Akinci — represents Turkey's biggest aviation export transaction and validates the state's strategic support for domestic UCAV development.

Ukraine

Baykar donated TB2 drones to Ukraine after the 2022 invasion; Kyiv's combat use of Bayraktar drones made Selçuk Bayraktar a cultural figure in Ukraine and boosted Baykar's global brand more than any paid marketing could.

Indonesia

The Kızılelma deal includes a local production centre, giving Jakarta sovereign UCAV manufacturing capacity and a non-Western, non-Chinese supply chain for its carrier ambitions.