Turkey stages world’s first autonomous jet dogfight in historic test

Turkey has achieved a world-first milestone in autonomous aerial warfare by successfully conducting a fully autonomous close formation flight between two Kizilelma unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). On December 28, Baykar, a Turkish defense firm, demonstrated these jet-powered drones performing synchronized, high-speed formation flying without any human intervention, relying solely on artificial intelligence, onboard sensors, and real-time data exchange. This breakthrough highlights Turkey’s leadership in unmanned aviation and marks a significant advancement in AI-powered aerial combat capabilities. The Kizilelma drones, introduced in 2022, are designed for rapid, maneuverable missions in hostile environments, including aerial dogfights and cooperative operations with manned fighter jets. Featuring stealth technology, AI-driven flight control, internal weapon storage, and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities from ships, the Kizilelma represents a new class of combat drones with capabilities previously exclusive to crewed fighters. The program is currently in advanced flight