Türkiye's Akıncı UCAV drone completes 1st flight with Turkish-made AESA radar

The Bayraktar Akıncı drone, one of Türkiye's prominent unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV), completed its first flight with Turkish defense giant Aselsan's Murad AESA radar, major defense firm Baykar announced.

"With the successful completion of the first flight of Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV with Aselsan Murad AESA radar, another groundbreaking success has been achieved in our defense industry," said Turkish Defense Industries Undersecretariat head Haluk Görgün said on X on Saturday.

"Now our UAVs have sharper eyes, superior mission capability in all conditions, and game-changing capabilities in the field," he added.

Baykar's Akıncı UCAV is one of the biggest high-altitude long-endurance UCAVs in the world and the first of three units of Akıncıs to enter service in 2021.

It can do operations that are otherwise done by fighter jets. It carries electronic support systems, dual satellite communication systems, air-to-air radar, collision avoidance radar, and synthetic aperture radar, according to Baykar.

It can also be used in air-to-ground and air-to-air attack missions as well.

In order to counter the rapidly changing and evolving target set of the warfare environment, today's combat aircraft are equipped with radar with AESA technology.

Murad 100-A radar has been developed as a state-of-the-art multifunctional fire control radar with agile electronic beam steering capability and simultaneous air-to-air/air-ground engagement capabilities thanks to its AESA architecture.

Considering the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the battlefield, the Murad 100-A radar, which can be integrated into both fighter jet aircraft and UAVs, is indispensable for all aircraft to ensure operational superiority in air warfare.