Multilingual open-source dossiers on emerging aircraft, payloads, autonomy, electronic-warfare adaptation, and the industrial systems behind them.
128 dossiers492 source records20 source languages31 Aug 2026 reviewed
EDITION 02 31 AUG 2026
Original AI-assisted technical artwork · no source photography displayed · not evidentiary imagery
Research standard: manufacturer claims, independently observable facts, and analytical judgments are labelled separately. Every aircraft visual is an original local reconstruction; cited imagery informs geometry but is not reproduced on this page.
Modular payloadsAIRFRAME → MISSION BUS
Jiutian, AAROK, Elang Hitam, and Omen foreground reconfigurable payload and network roles.
Edge autonomyLINK LOSS ≠ MISSION LOSS
Visual navigation and onboard perception are moving functions onto the aircraft.
Counter-EW adaptationMULTIPLE CONTROL PATHS
Fibre links, visual navigation, and resilient C2 respond to jamming pressure.
Persistent sensingPLATFORM + DATA LAYER
Sensors, identity, fusion, and dissemination increasingly form one capability.
01 / CONNECTED COVERAGE
Browse the evidence catalogue
128 platform and technology files cover 64 national or multinational market groupings. Search once, select a file, and the dossier, related systems, source base, and collection context update together.
INCLUDEDReusable military UAVs plus distinct one-way and adapted systems supported by government, UN, or forensic evidenceOUTSIDE SCOPEGeneric hobby platforms, unverifiable group claims, targets, and programmes without attributable public evidence
ACTIVE DOSSIER / OBSERVED
Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA
Baykar describes KALKAN as a runway-independent tactical ISR aircraft that uses four electric motors for vertical flight and an internal-combustion engine in cruise.
The selection made in the coverage catalogue carries into this reader. Evidence filters adjust the index without discarding the full catalogue.
1 of 128 visible files
FILE 001 / 128Türkiye collection
OBSERVED2024–26Flight testing / manufacturer promotedCONFIDENCE: HIGH
Bayraktar KALKAN DİHA
Türkiye•Hybrid VTOL ISR
Evidence class
Observed
Source records
3
Languages
TR / EN
Dated records
1 of 3
Technical audit
Baseline / gaps flagged
GEOSCOPE / AIR SYSTEMS / FIG. 01Bayraktar KALKAN DİHAHybrid VTOL ISR
ILLUSTRATIVE AIRFRAMEObserved / High confidence
ORIGINAL 3D RECONSTRUCTIONNOT TO SCALE / NOT EVIDENTIARY
AIR VEHICLE DATAPublished values and source qualifiers retained
Wingspan5 mMTOW / payload78 kg / 3 kgCatalogue endurance6 hCommunications70+ kmPower system4 electric lift motors + 1 combustion cruise engine
COMPONENT + CONFIGURATION INDEXTechnical dossier findings / spatial fit not claimed
TECHNICAL EVIDENCE KEY
01Technical finding 01
Baykar lists a 5 m span, 78 kg maximum take-off weight, 3 kg payload, six-hour endurance, and 70+ km communications range.
Observed
02Technical finding 02
The BG160 payload combines EO, IR, and laser rangefinding. The manufacturer also lists object tracking, route following, loiter, and return-home functions.
Observed
Original AI-assisted reconstruction · geometry basis: Baykar public materialGEOMETRY SOURCE BASIS
GEOSCOPE / SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE / FIG. 02Bayraktar KALKAN DİHAAIR VEHICLE + MISSION SYSTEM + CONTROL SEGMENT
BASELINE DOSSIER STRUCTURE8 records / 5 of 6 domains populated / 2 observed
The BG160 payload combines EO, IR, and laser rangefinding. The manufacturer also lists object tracking, route following, loiter, and return-home functions.
No separately sourced autonomy & processing detail is indexed in this dossier. The field is left unresolved rather than inferred from aircraft appearance or similar systems.
Embedded labels are illustrative concept-art claims and have not been validated as dossier evidence. Use the sourced records below for factual assessment.
OPERATIONAL USE RECORD
01Programme / service status
Flight testing / manufacturer promoted
Observed
02Published mission description
Hybrid VTOL ISR. Baykar describes KALKAN as a runway-independent tactical ISR aircraft that uses four electric motors for vertical flight and an internal-combustion engine in cruise.
Reported
03Operation-specific collection gap
No separately sourced operational event has yet been structured for this file. Fielding status is not treated as proof of combat use.
Sources support the dossier record as a whole. Evidence tags, not diagram placement, distinguish observation, reporting, and assessment.
DESCRIPTIVE OSINT MISSION CHAIN / NOT OPERATIONAL GUIDANCEROLE MODEL WITH COLLECTION GAP
OPEN-SOURCE FINDINGS
Baykar describes KALKAN as a runway-independent tactical ISR aircraft that uses four electric motors for vertical flight and an internal-combustion engine in cruise.
01
Baykar lists a 5 m span, 78 kg maximum take-off weight, 3 kg payload, six-hour endurance, and 70+ km communications range.
02
The April 2024 test release reports flight above 14,500 ft and more than seven hours, while the current product page lists a 10,000 ft service ceiling and six-hour endurance.
03
The BG160 payload combines EO, IR, and laser rangefinding. The manufacturer also lists object tracking, route following, loiter, and return-home functions.
ANALYST ASSESSMENT · HIGH CONFIDENCE
The combination of VTOL recovery, a replaceable EO/IR payload, and a hybrid cruise system points to persistent local surveillance from dispersed sites. Public test results exceed some catalogue figures, so production-standard performance remains an open collection requirement.
DATA CARD
Wingspan5 m
MTOW / payload78 kg / 3 kg
Catalogue endurance6 h
Communications70+ km
Power system4 electric lift motors + 1 combustion cruise engine
STRUCTURED PLATFORM RECORDService history, systems, and configuration map
Evidence tags apply to each statement, not to the aircraft as a whole.
OPERATORS + SERVICE01
TürkiyeObserved
Catalogue actor or market grouping only. A separately sourced operator list has not yet been added to this legacy file.
DOCUMENTED OPERATIONAL RECORD01
Flight testing / manufacturer promotedAssessment
No operation-specific event is separately indexed in this file. The dossier does not infer combat use from programme status.
MECHANICAL + EW / MISSION SYSTEMS05
WingspanReported
5 m
MTOW / payloadReported
78 kg / 3 kg
Catalogue enduranceReported
6 h
CommunicationsReported
70+ km
Power systemReported
4 electric lift motors + 1 combustion cruise engine
VARIANTS + WEAPONS01
Public record gapAssessment
No separately sourced variant or weapon-fit record has yet been structured for this legacy file.
Original illustrative reconstructions with source-backed, separately editable annotations. No source photograph is displayed; geometry is not to scale and is never used as evidence.
GEOSCOPE / AIR SYSTEMSFQ-42 / FQ-44 programme
IDENTIFICATION PLATE01
PRIMARY / 3–4 VIEWORTHOGRAPHIC REFERENCE
ADorsal intakeBUncrewed forebodyCPlanform shaping
ORIGINAL AI-ASSISTED RECONSTRUCTION / ILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
The dossier evidence repeatedly links aircraft geometry to sensors, mission computers, satellite links, identity, edge processing, and reconfigurable payloads. This original conceptual cutaway connects those recurring technology zones; it does not depict a specific aircraft.
EO / IRSATCOMMISSION COMPUTEMODULAR PAYLOAD
Generated editorial analysis image · generic configuration · not evidence
04 / OSINT SIGNAL LOG
Public development markers
Chronology records publication events, not inferred operational status.
ZHCHINA
Jiutian displayed at Airshow China; NPU later confirms modular mission architecture.
FAIRAN
Exercise reporting reveals Bina and Qandil tactical reconnaissance names; published performance remains unverified.
UKUKRAINE
MoD announces UAH 44bn+ FPV procurement plan including fibre-optic models.
TRTÜRKIYE
TB2T-AI test programme publicised with turbo engine and onboard AI claims.
ENUNITED STATES
Air Force designates the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A CCA prototypes.
RURUSSIA
Rostec reports UAV identity-transponder testing; later flight-test completion not located.
EDGE and Anduril launch Omen and announce an initial UAE acquisition of 50 systems.
JAJAPAN
ATLA publishes results from route-generation and multi-UAV operator-workload trials.
KOSOUTH KOREA
DAPA unveils the first production MUAV and reports approximately 90% localisation.
ENUNITED STATES
Production-representative MQ-25A completes an approximately two-hour first flight.
ENUNITED STATES
US Navy grants MQ-25A Milestone C approval for low-rate initial production.
ENUNITED STATES
Air Force awards development and production contracts for both FQ-42 and FQ-44 CCA.
ENUNITED STATES
YFQ-44A fires an AIM-120 at a digital target with weapon release retained by a human operator.
ENUNITED STATES
FQ-42 and FQ-44 participate in realistic experimental-operations activity at Creech AFB.
05 / MULTILINGUAL COLLECTION DESK
Native reporting, translated with limits
These records connect dated public signals to the wider dossier base. Each card states what its source establishes and what remains unproven; native headlines preserve the translation trail.
ES
SpanishManufacturer + government context
Observed
Airbus / Spain
El primer prototipo del SIRTAP de Airbus listo para iniciar las pruebas en tierra
First Airbus SIRTAP prototype ready to begin ground tests
COLLECTION SIGNAL
Assembly of the first prototype was completed and structural, system, and software ground testing began. The Spanish order covers 27 aircraft and nine control stations.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
The release scheduled a 2025 maiden flight, but no official first-flight confirmation was located in this review. Prototype completion is not flight certification.
DE
GermanGerman defence press + programme authority
Reported
OCCAR / Airbus
Eurodrohne schließt Critical Design Review erfolgreich ab
The design phase closed after CDR, allowing prototype production and ground-test preparation to begin. Airbus now schedules first flight for 2029.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
A design review validates engineering maturity against programme criteria; it does not verify the advertised payload, endurance, or flight performance.
AR
ArabicManufacturer / joint-venture announcement
Reported
EDGE / Anduril
مجموعة إيدج تستعرض تطورها العالمي مع 42 إطلاقاً جديداً في معرض دبي للطيران 2025
EDGE presents 42 new launches at Dubai Airshow 2025
COLLECTION SIGNAL
Omen was presented as a Group 3 hover-to-cruise aircraft. A separate Anduril release records an initial UAE acquisition of 50 and a full-rate production goal by end-2028.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
The announcements do not provide a completed flight-test record or independently verified range, endurance, and payload figures.
FA
PersianPersian-language media reporting an official exercise display
Reported
IRGC Ground Force
سپاه با معرفی پهپادهای جدید؛ مکلف به انجام وظیفهایم نه نتیجه
IRGC presents new tactical reconnaissance and one-way UAVs
COLLECTION SIGNAL
Public exercise imagery and reporting introduced the Bina hybrid reconnaissance UAV and Qandil 4/5 tactical reconnaissance names, signalling emphasis on local surveillance and mixed propulsion.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
Published range and endurance values originate with IRGC-aligned reporting and were not independently validated. The signal is the public reveal, not proven performance or fleet scale.
RU
RussianRussian state corporation
Reported
Rostec / Ruselectronics
Ростех начал испытания системы «свой-чужой» для БПЛА
Rostec begins testing friend-or-foe identification for UAVs
COLLECTION SIGNAL
Rostec reported electromagnetic-compatibility testing of a compact UAV identification transponder and planned integration flight tests, indicating attention to airspace identity as drone density rises.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
The release is a supplier claim. This review did not locate a later public result confirming that the planned summer 2025 flight tests or operational integration occurred.
ID
IndonesianManufacturer + national wire service
Observed
PT Dirgantara Indonesia
Drone Elang Hitam buatan PTDI lakukan uji terbang
PTDI-built Elang Hitam drone conducts flight test
COLLECTION SIGNAL
Photographs and matching PTDI and ANTARA accounts show the MALE demonstrator flying at Kertajati with a Kodiak chase aircraft during a certification-oriented test series.
DOES NOT ESTABLISH
The event demonstrates flight and an active test programme. It does not validate the advertised 24-hour endurance, 20,000 ft ceiling, mission systems, or production readiness.
EVIDENCE CALIBRATION
Evidence ladder, not capability ranking
A consistent milestone vocabulary connects public signals to defensible programme status without mistaking a reveal or first flight for a fielded, supportable capability.
01Disclosed conceptMINIMUM EVIDENCE
Official display, model, brochure, programme statement, or configuration artwork
CASES IN THIS EDITIONJiutian · FH-95 · Omen02Experimental flightMINIMUM EVIDENCE
Test-authority release, repeat flight imagery, demonstrator handover, or defined trial objective
CASES IN THIS EDITIONKALKAN · TB2T-AI · ATLA support UAV · Elang Hitam03Production / service transitionMINIMUM EVIDENCE
First-production event, Milestone C, delivered control stations, squadron acceptance, or service entry
CASES IN THIS EDITIONFQ-42 / FQ-44 · ROK MUAV · MQ-25A · Protector · StormShroud04Sustained operational evidenceMINIMUM EVIDENCE
Repeated deployments, legally published forensic evidence, procurement at scale, or multi-date industrial imagery
CASES IN THIS EDITIONUkraine software / FPV stack · BZK-005 · Yelabuga
06 / CROSS-SOURCE ASSESSMENT
What the wider evidence indicates
Judgments synthesise the catalogue, signal log, and research library. Confidence reflects source agreement and evidentiary quality, not predictive certainty.
01High confidence
Capability is a system, not an airframe
A useful UAV comparison must account for sensors, control links, C2 integration, software, operator organisation, production capacity, and sustainment alongside the vehicle itself.
02High confidence
The control link remains a central vulnerability
Contested radio-frequency links are driving diversification toward frequency agility, waypoint or visual navigation, fibre-optic control, and more onboard processing. No single approach removes every trade-off.
03High confidence
Industrial resilience is operational capability
Materials, batteries, motors, sensors, semiconductors, firmware access, test capacity, and labour can constrain force generation as decisively as platform design.
04Moderate confidence
Autonomy is advancing in increments
Public evidence is strongest for navigation, perception, route planning, and assisted identification. Claims of broad autonomous combat performance remain difficult to validate, and human oversight remains operationally significant.
05High confidence
MALE survivability cannot be inferred from altitude alone
Recent analysis shows conventional MALE aircraft remain vulnerable within ground-based air-defence coverage. Stand-off reduces exposure but can reduce sensor coverage or resolution.
06High confidence
Ukraine is an important case, not a universal template
The conflict demonstrates adaptation under intense EW and attrition, but geography, air-defence density, alliance support, industrial access, and force structure will differ in other theatres.
07High confidence
Service entry can precede full maturity
Rapid acquisition can place a useful capability with operators while tactics, autonomy, payload effects, and integration continue to develop. “In service” should therefore be recorded separately from verified mission effectiveness.
08High confidence
Schedules are evidence only when versioned
A planned maiden flight, delivery date, or production target should be stored with its publication date and checked against later releases. SIRTAP and Eurodrone show how a technically meaningful programme can remain active while public milestones move.
COLLECTION FRAMEWORK
Indicators to watch
General-purpose OSINT cues for monitoring programme maturity without treating a single image or announcement as conclusive.
Whether a demonstration is approaching the intended operational problem
Scripted or low-fidelity trials can create false confidence
07 / DEFENCE ANALYSIS + OSINT LIBRARY
Research informing this edition
Think-tank interpretation is connected to the cross-source judgments for context. Platform specifications remain anchored to primary programme or government material wherever available.
CORE FILETürkiye
CORE FILEChina
CORE FILETürkiye
CORE FILEFrance
CORE FILESouth Korea
CORE FILEChina
CORE FILEChina
CORE FILEUnited States
CORE FILEUnited States
CORE FILEUnited Kingdom
CORE FILEUnited Kingdom
CORE FILEJapan
CORE FILEUkraine
CORE FILEUkraine
CORE FILENorth Korea
OPEN FULL RESOLUTION