Ankara, Aug. 27 (SANA) Baykar’s KALKAN vertical Baykar’s KALKAN verticaltake-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTOL UAV) has successfully carried out test flights aboard the Turkish Navy’s TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship and TCG Burgazada corvette, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence said.
The ministry said the flights were conducted as part of tests for the use of the KALKAN system on naval platforms, releasing footage of the aircraft operating from both vessels.
The trials come days after KALKAN formally entered Türkiye’s inventory following an acceptance ceremony aboard the frigate TCG Oruçreis during TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan 2026 on Aug. 20.
Developed by Turkish defence company Baykar, KALKAN is designed primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and does not require a conventional runway for take-off or landing.
The aircraft uses a hybrid propulsion system, with four electric motors providing vertical lift and an internal-combustion engine powering forward flight. The configuration combines the deployment flexibility of a vertical take-off aircraft with the efficiency of fixed-wing flight.
According to Baykar’s published specifications, KALKAN has a maximum take-off weight of 78 kilograms and can carry a payload of up to 3 kg. It has a six-hour endurance, a communications range of more than 80 kilometres and a service ceiling of 10,000 feet.
KALKAN can also carry Baykar’s BG-160 electro-optical payload, which provides electro-optical and infrared imaging, laser rangefinding and multi-target identification and tracking capabilities.
The aircraft supports autonomous take-off, cruise and landing, as well as functions including automatic route following, object tracking, loitering and return-to-home operations.
Its compact size and vertical take-off capability could make the aircraft suitable for reconnaissance missions from naval vessels without the flight-deck infrastructure required by larger fixed-wing unmanned aircraft.
The latest flights mark a further step in demonstrating KALKAN’s maritime potential. At the time of its Aug. 20 inventory acceptance ceremony, available information had not confirmed shipborne take-offs or landings, permanent naval integration or assignment to a specific naval unit.
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