Baykar is targeting the start of serial deliveries for its Kızılelma unmanned combat aircraft within 2026. The company's CEO Haluk Bayraktar stated during the SAHA 2026 Expo at the Anadolu Agency Technology Desk that Kızılelma continues intensive flight testing as the program advances toward serial production phases.

Bayraktar highlighted the transformation of Turkey's defense industrial base over the past two decades, noting that the country had approximately 20 defense companies in 2002, compared to over 3,000 today. SAHA Istanbul, founded in 2015 with 27 members, supports localization efforts within Turkey's National Technology Initiative framework. Turkish defense exports have grown from $250 million in 2002 to over $10 billion last year, with a target of $13 billion for 2026.

The SAHA 2026 exhibition hosted more than 196 signing ceremonies, resulting in $8 billion in export agreements. ARCA Defense accounted for $4.3 billion of these agreements, while Baykar signed its first export contract for Kızılelma. Bayraktar noted that SAHA Istanbul has become Europe's largest industrial cluster, now hosting over 1,300 members and more than 30 universities.

The Kızılelma program represents the latest stage in a 25-year evolution of unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Except for the engine, all aircraft systems have been developed domestically. The platform conducted its maiden flight in December 2022 and has continued flight testing since. Equipped with ASELSAN's AESA radar and air-to-air missiles developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, Kızılelma achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first unmanned combat aircraft to successfully engage an air-to-air target. Bayraktar noted that Indonesia pursued an agreement for approximately one year before the company finalized the deal, ensuring the aircraft completed testing and initial domestic deliveries. The first export contract covers 12 Kızılelma aircraft, with initial deliveries targeted for 2028.

Baykar finances its research and development projects through export revenues and continues investing in space technologies via the Fergani Space initiative led by Selçuk Bayraktar. The company manufactures engines for all its loitering munitions and emphasizes supply chain resilience for large-scale production. Bayraktar announced plans to establish unmanned aircraft and education centers across all 81 Turkish provinces and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, utilizing profits from SAHA 2026. Additionally, the company plans to develop a large public drone park in Istanbul where young people can design, test, and operate unmanned systems.