Bayraktar Akinci combat drone scores direct air-to-air hit with Eren munition in test over the Black Sea [VIDEO]

Developed indigenously by Baykar, the Bayraktar Akinci UCAV had previously conducted successful air-to-air engagements with the Kemankeş-1 AI-based mini cruise missile. The latest milestone was achieved with the Eren munition developed by Roketsan.

As part of the activity, the Bayraktar Akinci took off from the Akinci flight training and test centre in Çorlu and proceeded to the designated test area over the Black Sea. During the test off the coast of Sinop, a target UAV launched from the ground was successfully neutralised mid-flight by the Eren munition fired from the aircraft.

Following the successful engagement, which resulted in the destruction of the target, the UCAV returned to Çorlu along its planned route. The test demonstrated the system’s ability to conduct controlled air-to-air engagements under operational conditions.

By extending its proven air-to-ground performance to air-to-air missions, the Bayraktar Akinci reinforced its multi-domain combat capability. The platform demonstrated that it can effectively employ a wide range of indigenous munitions against both ground and aerial targets.

To date, munitions successfully tested within the UCAV’s development programme include MAM-L, MAM-L TV, MAM-T, MAM-T IIR/TV, MAM-C, TOLUN, TOLUN IIR, Teber-81, Teber-82, LAÇİN 82, LGK-81, LGK-82, HGK-82, Gökçe Guidance Kit, Gözde Guidance Kit, KGK-82-UCAV, UAV-230 Supersonic Missile, TV Seeker and Laser Seeker variants of the UAV-122 Supersonic Missile, and the Çakır Cruise Missile. These integrations form part of the aircraft’s ongoing capability development.

Operationally active since its induction into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory on 29 August 2021, the Bayraktar Akinci also holds the altitude record in Turkish aviation history. On 21 June 2022, during endurance, high-altitude and high-speed tests conducted in the presence of delegations from the Defence Industry Agency and the Air Force Command, the aircraft reached 45,118 feet (13,716 metres), setting a national record.

Baykar has funded all of its projects entirely through its own resources since its establishment and continued as the world’s largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment in 2025. Maintaining its leadership in the global UCAV market over the past three years, the company recorded an export volume of 2.2 billion US dollars in 2025 and has derived approximately 90 per cent of its revenue from exports in recent years, positioning it as a key contributor to Türkiye’s high-technology exports.