Turkish world-renowned drone manufacturer Baykar and Ukrainian high-tech engine producer Ivchenko-Progress, signed today an agreement that provides for the supply of AI-322F Turbofan engines for Baykar’s Unammed fighter jet (MIUS).
Another agreement was also signed with the Ukrainian company for the integration of AI-25TLT turbofan engines into Baylar’s MIUS.
The agreements were signed on the side of SAHA EXPO Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, which is currently being held in Istanbul, Turkey.
The agreements were signed by Haluk Bayraktar, the CEO of Baykar, and Igor Kravchenko, the designer general and director of Ivchenko Progress.
MIUS – Unmanned Fighter Jet
The MIUS will be a single-engine unmanned aircraft. The airframe features a tailless, blended wing body design optimized for reduced radar cross-section (RCS).
The aircraft has two canards but no horizontal stabilizers and two canted vertical stabilizers. The air intakes are located on each side of the fuselage.
While specifications of the aircraft have not been shared, the take-off weight is expected to be in the 3,500–4,500 kg range.
The MIUS will carry 1,500 kg of payload and munitions, including air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-launched cruise missiles. Munitions will be internally carried within a weapons bay to maintain a low RCS. The air vehicle will have wing-mounted hardpoints for external weapons carriage for missions where low RCS is not essential.
The first prototype is scheduled to fly in 2023. It will be subsonic while the following prototypes are expected to be capable of attaining supersonic speeds.
The MIUS will be used for different combat roles such as close air support, suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses, and air-to-air combat.
The design of the MIUS is optimized to perform the aggressive maneuvering required for air combat. The MIUS will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent fleet autonomy technologies, enabling multiple air vehicles to operate independently or fly alongside and support manned fighter aircraft.
MIUS will also have the ability to operate from the Turkish navy's future TCG Anadolu Amphibious assault ship.
