Baykar Bayraktar KALKAN
| Bayraktar KALKAN VTOL | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | VTOL unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle |
National origin | Turkey |
| Manufacturer | Baykar |
| Issued by | Baykar |
| Status | production phase |
| Primary user | Turkish Armed Forces |
| History | |
Introduction date | 2022 |
| First flight | August 2019 |
| In service | 20 August 2026 |
Bayraktar KALKAN VTOL (Turkish: Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA, "Kalkan", literally: "Skydagger") is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Baykar defense technology as a versatile and flexible system specifically designed for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance missions.[1] It was announced for the first time in 2019.[2] Bayraktar VTOL was initially intented to be used in the drone-carrying Landing helicopter dock TCG Anadolu.[3][4]
History
The project was launched in 2019,[2] with subsequent flight tests commenced thereafter. It achieved a total of 30 flight tests as of 7 April 2024.[5]
In early 2025, Baykar announced that they have successfully launched an FPV drone, called "Skydagger", from the aircraft mid-air, demonstrating its "mothership" capability.[6]
The integration of Kalkan VTOL into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory took place aboard the frigate TCG Oruçreis (F 245) during the Teknofest "Mavi Vatan" (literally: Blue Homeland) event held in Gölcük Naval Shipyard, Turkey on 20 August 2026.[7]
Specifications
Kalkan VTOL is a versatile and flexible system specifically designed for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance missions. Possessing fully autonomous takeoff, cruise, and landing capabilities as well as semi-autonomous flight capabilities, it can effectively meet diverse operational needs.[1]
Capable of fully autonomous vertical take-off and landing without the need for a runway, it utilizes four electric motors during the take-off phase and an internal combustion engine with low fuel consumption for cruise flight.[7] Thanks to its advanced flight control system, it can execute mission functions —such as autonomous route following, object tracking, loitering, and return-to-home— with high precision and reliability.[1]
General Features
- Wing Span: 5 m (16 ft)
- Body length: 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
- Height: 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in)[1]
- Maximum takeoff weight: 78 kg (172 lb)[8]
- Payload capacity: 3 kg (6.6 lb)[7]
Performance
Advanced Features
- Fully automatic flight
- Autonomous landing and take-off
- Semi-autonomous flight
- Triple redundant flight control system
- Laser distance meter[9]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA" (in Turkish). Baykar. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Baykar'dan dikey iniş kalkışlı insansız hava aracı geliyor: Bayraktar DİHA". www.donanimhaber.com. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ↑ "Şimdi DİHA zamanı". m5dergi (in Turkish). 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ↑ "BAYKAR'dan dikey iniş kalkışlı yeni İHA | SavunmaSanayiST" (in Turkish). 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- 1 2 BaykarTech. "BAYKAR CONTINUES ITS BAYRAKTAR KALKAN VTOL TESTS SUCCESSFULLY". baykartech.com. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ TeamDefenseWatch (2025-11-29). "Baykar's Kalkan VTOL Launches FPV Drone Mid-Air, Ushering in New Era for Airborne "Motherships"". TheDefenseWatch.com. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- 1 2 3 "Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA Envantere Girdi" (in Turkish). Savunma Sanayi ST. 20 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bayraktar KALKAN VTOL". baykartech.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ "BAYKAR İnsansız Hava Aracı Sistemleri". www.baykarsavunma.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
External links
- Official page Archived 2021-01-17 at the Wayback Machine