Turkish defense company Baykar is making steady progress on its MIUS (Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi) program, continuing test flights of the Bayraktar Kızılelma UAV. The latest successful trials involved the fourth prototype, PT-4, conducted at the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center.
The tests were confirmed by Baykar's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-owner Selçuk Bayraktar. Notably, PT-4 is powered by the AI-322F engine developed by Ukraine’s Ivchenko-Progress.
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The integration agreement between Baykar and Ivchenko-Progress was signed during the Saha Expo defense exhibition in fall 2021.
While the initial prototypes used AI-25TLT engines, the program has since transitioned to the more powerful AI-322F. Turkey is also reportedly exploring alternative engine options for the platform.
The MIUS project has been in development since the early 2010s, with the concept for the Bayraktar Kızılelma emerging around 2013. Detailed specifications were publicly revealed in 2021. Although the maiden flight was originally scheduled for 2023, the UAV took to the skies ahead of schedule in 2022. In 2023, the Bayraktar Kızılelma also successfully conducted a joint flight with an F-16C multirole fighter.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that the Netherlands abandoned plans to equip its submarines with Tomahawk missiles, citing the unavailability of the required missile variant due to discontinued production in the U.S.
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