The Turkish company Baykar is designing a new prototype of the Kızılelma unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) with an engine manufactured in Ukraine. This upgraded prototype features enhanced design elements, as reported by TRT Haber.
"The new Kızılelma prototype includes significant changes in its chassis, which are larger and folded backwards for improved aerodynamics. Additionally, visible external differences have been noted. The vertical stabilizers, which were more prominent in the first prototype, have been simplified in the new version, likely to reduce the cross-sectional area for radar stealth," the article states.
Experts also observed that some subsystems at the rear of the aircraft have been integrated into the fuselage.
"Another feature of the new Kızılelma prototype is that the engine's ventilation openings have been enlarged on both sides. It is known that this platform flies with an engine from Ukraine. This change may be aimed at integrating an engine developed using domestic and national resources," the article further notes.
The new Kızılelma prototype was showcased during a visit by a delegation from the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia, headed by Khalid, who visited Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Baykar. Experts noticed improvements and changes to the Kızılelma UCAV in the background of the delegation's joint photo with Baykar's products.
