Turkey's first unmanned fighter jet, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, has commenced flight tests with the KARAT Infrared Search and Track (IRST) System developed by ASELSAN. This integration will contribute to KIZILELMA's transformation from merely an unmanned jet into an advanced fighter platform capable of actively participating in aerial combat.
Baykar Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar announced on his social media account that the ASELSAN KARAT IRST system was tested during KIZILELMA's final flight of 2025. ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol emphasized that KIZILELMA leaves a new mark with every takeoff, stating that the KARAT integration will multiply its superiority in aerial combat.
High Situational Awareness for Stealth Systems
The KARAT Infrared Search and Track System was developed specifically for modern combat environments where low radar cross-section threats are becoming more prevalent. Thanks to its passive operating principle, the system can perform target detection without emitting radar signals, identifying, tracking, and classifying aerial targets based on their heat signatures. This feature provides KIZILELMA with a significant tactical advantage in scenarios where radars are limited or create blind spots.
KARAT, which stands out with its surface-faceted design compatible with low radar cross-sections, is capable of detecting next-generation aerial threats, including 5th-generation fighter jets. The system is not limited to target detection; it also provides angular position information and passive range estimation for guiding air-to-air munitions towards targets.
Technical Capabilities of KARAT 100
ASELSAN KARAT 100 provides superior long-range target detection capability thanks to its high-performance LWIR band infrared imaging channel. The system can adapt to different mission profiles with its adjustable search volume, while its wide scan area and low scan time offer high situational awareness in dynamic aerial combat environments.
KARAT can perform automatic target detection and single or multiple target tracking within its search area. Its narrow and wide field-of-view options, the ability to slave to the platform's line of sight, advanced image processing algorithms, and precise stabilization system make KARAT not just a sensor, but an integrated combat awareness solution. Data obtained through digital video output can be shared simultaneously with mission systems.
KIZILELMA is known to have previously conducted flights with the TOYGUN Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). With this integration, it became the world's first unmanned fighter jet equipped with an embedded EOTS. Current developments indicate that KIZILELMA may be separated into different mission-oriented variants in the future, such as the TOYGUN and MURAD radar combination for air-to-ground missions, and the KARAT and MURAD radar integration for air-to-air missions.
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