With the growing uncertainity of the security situation in the great lakes region, member countries have gone on a defence shopping spree which could trigger a regional arms race.
A photo of RDF’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Mubarakh Muganga gifted with dummy of Kızılelma drone circulating on social media platforms has excited several defence enthusiasts.
The Bayraktar Kizilelma is a fighter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to conduct take-off and landing operations on short-runway aircraft carriers and to carry out missions using internally carried munitions.
Bayraktar Kızılelma is primarily used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes, but can also be armed with missiles for offensive operations.
The monstrous drone was developed by the Turkish defence company Baykar Technologies.
This fighter deone is designed to execute a range of military operations including strategic offensives, close air support, missile strikes, suppression of enemy air defences and enemy air defence destruction.
Bayraktar Kizilelma fighter UAV is capable of firing Bozdogan and Gokdogan air-to-air missiles. It can also be equipped to launch SOM-J cruise missiles, which have a range exceeding 250km, as well as Mini Akilli Mühimmat (MAM) family-guided bombs.
Specifications of Bayraktar Kızılelma
Load capacity – 1500 kg
Maximum take-off weight – 6000 kg
Power plant – 1 × AI-25TLT or AI-322F or TEI TF-6000
Maximum speed – 900 km/h
Cruising speed – 740 km/h
Combat range – 930 km
Duration – 5 hours
Ceiling – 12,000 m
Working height – 10,668 m
The Bayraktar Kızılelma has been used in various conflicts, including the Syrian Civil War and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
