Türkiye’s accelerating momentum in autonomous military technologies, Baykar’s Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) on June 14 successfully launched the Roketsan-developed Çakır cruise missile in a live-fire test, striking a predesignated target using fully autonomous navigation and target acquisition. This milestone not only affirms Türkiye’s expanding indigenous strike capabilities but also signals a broader paradigm shift toward AI-integrated, network-centric warfare.
Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of Baykar and one of the architects of Türkiye’s drone revolution, hailed the test as “a historic moment in our national defense innovation journey,” posting on social media: “Çakır has flown. Akıncı launched, AI led, and the target was neutralized without human intervention.”
The successful demonstration positions the Çakır-Akıncı pairing at the forefront of global trends in unmanned precision-strike systems, rivalling and in several ways surpassing Western and Israeli analogues in adaptability, autonomy, and resilience in electronic warfare environments.
Developed by Roketsan, Türkiye’s leading missile systems manufacturer, the Çakır cruise missile represents a next-generation leap in stand-off precision weaponry. With a range exceeding 150 kilometers, and a weight of under 275 kg without booster (and up to 330 kg with booster), it is designed for launch from air, land, and sea platforms—a modularity that few cruise missile classes can claim.
The heart of the missile is the KTJ-1750 turbojet engine, developed by Kale Arge, one of Türkiye’s prominent propulsion research entities. The KTJ-1750 not only provides high thrust-to-weight ratio but also ensures fuel efficiency and reliability in prolonged, low-altitude flight paths essential for radar evasion.
Most notably, Çakır integrates autonomous target recognition with terrain-following navigation, fusing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with onboard sensors to independently navigate complex landscapes and strike dynamic or stationary targets even in GPS-denied or jammed zones.
This level of autonomy marks a decisive departure from remote-controlled systems, where human-in-the-loop decisions traditionally determined targeting and engagement. Instead, Çakır belongs to a new class of AI-empowered munitions, capable of reacting to battlefield conditions in real time.
First entering service in 2021, the Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV has evolved into a premier aerial combat and ISR platform, offering high payload capacity, long endurance, and advanced situational awareness through AI-enabled subsystems.
With its twin turboprop engines, the Akıncı can operate at altitudes of 40,000 feet, stay aloft for 24 hours, and carry a payload of 1,500+ kg, accommodating a variety of munitions from precision bombs to air-to-air and cruise missiles. Its AI-powered mission computers, autonomous flight capabilities, and secure communication nodes make it ideal for pairing with intelligent munitions like Çakır.
During the June 14 test, the Akıncı reportedly conducted real-time terrain mapping and electronic environment scanning, feeding this data to the Çakır prior to release. After launch, the missile operated independently, updating its path autonomously in response to electronic and geographical threats.
This test is more than a technological feat; it is a doctrinal transformation. The pairing of AI-equipped UCAVs and cruise missiles signifies Türkiye’s move from platform-centric warfare, which prioritizes individual weapon systems, to data-centric warfare, where connectivity, real-time intelligence, and distributed decision-making define tactical superiority.
Such systems operate within network-enabled environments, sharing data with ground stations, satellites, and other unmanned platforms to optimize target acquisition and strike execution. In effect, the Akıncı-Çakır system compresses the sensor-to-shooter loop, allowing near-instantaneous threat neutralization across vast operational theatres.
This doctrine parallels the U.S. Department of Defense’s JADC2 (Joint All-Domain Command and Control) initiative and China’s “intelligentized warfare” strategy, suggesting Türkiye is emerging as a formidable innovator in the AI warfare domain.
In the realm of UAV-launched cruise missiles, the Çakır faces competition from systems like:
Israel’s Delilah – A highly maneuverable missile launched from fixed-wing aircraft and UAVs with loiter capability and man-in-the-loop control.
U.S. AGM-176 Griffin – A lightweight precision-guided missile adapted for UAVs with semi-active laser or GPS/INS guidance.
Yet Çakır distinguishes itself through:
- Autonomous target acquisition (no man-in-the-loop).
- Terrain-following low-level flight using AI-driven navigation.
- Network-based adaptability, allowing real-time mission updates mid-flight.
- Multi-platform versatility, making it deployable from ships, mobile launchers, and UAVs alike.
- This makes it a true force multiplier, particularly in asymmetric or high-electronic-threat environments.
- The operational pairing of Akıncı and Çakır has implications beyond technology—it is a statement of strategic posture.
Türkiye’s evolving doctrine now includes capabilities that:
- Challenge A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) bubbles, such as those near the Eastern Mediterranean or Black Sea.
- Enable deep strikes into contested zones without risking human pilots or high-value platforms.
- Enhance deterrence against asymmetric actors and near-peer adversaries in the Caucasus, Middle East, and beyond.
Furthermore, these advancements may strain regional military balances. NATO allies may see the move as both a boost to alliance capabilities and a potential divergence, particularly given Ankara’s increasing defense autonomy and past procurement of non-NATO systems (like the Russian S-400).
One of the most impressive aspects of the test is the 100% indigenous character of the operation. All major components—from airframe and propulsion to avionics and warhead—are Turkish-made.
- Baykar – For the Akıncı airframe, mission systems, and AI architecture.
- Roketsan – For missile engineering, warhead design, and integration.
- Kale Arge – For the KTJ-1750 engine, a longstanding Turkish aspiration in propulsion autonomy.
This self-reliance insulates Türkiye from foreign sanctions, ensures continuity in defense production, and reinforces the political message of strategic independence.
Despite tensions in recent years, Türkiye remains a key NATO member. The integration of AI-driven munitions with drone platforms presents NATO with both a technological opportunity and a doctrinal challenge.
On one hand, the Akıncı-Çakır pairing could be:
- Integrated with NATO C4ISR systems for joint operations.
- Exported to allied states in Africa, Central Asia, and the Gulf, expanding influence.
On the other hand:
- The autonomous strike nature of Çakır raises ethical and operational debates within NATO, particularly concerning rules of engagement for AI weaponry.
- Divergences in command-control philosophy may limit integration unless standardized protocols emerge.
Türkiye’s ambition to become a top-five defense exporter by 2030 hinges on such breakthroughs. Already, the Akıncı has drawn interest from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Azerbaijan. The integration of Çakır would likely sweeten these deals.
As AI and autonomy become more prevalent in weapons systems, concerns about accountability, compliance with international law, and battlefield ethics intensify.
Çakır’s ability to identify and strike without human input raises essential questions:
- Who is liable in the event of collateral damage or misidentification?
- How are civilian targets safeguarded in urban warfare or grey zones?
- Is there sufficient transparency in the decision-making logic of the missile’s AI?
While Türkiye asserts that Çakır operates under strict rules of engagement and preprogrammed target profiles, global governance mechanisms around lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) remain underdeveloped.
Following the success of the June 14 test, Türkiye is expected to:
- Expand Çakır’s deployment to naval corvettes, truck-mounted launchers, and other UCAVs such as Bayraktar TB3 and Kızılelma.
- Develop a Çakır-B variant with extended range (300+ km) and enhanced swarm coordination capability.
- Accelerate integration into a distributed AI battlefield network, linking multiple UCAVs, satellites, and ground units in a seamless mesh of real-time data sharing.
Moreover, the 2025 edition of Teknofest, Türkiye’s national defense and technology expo, is expected to showcase new variants of Çakır and its interoperability with AI-based command systems, possibly hinting at a future combat cloud concept à la U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS).
The autonomous firing of the Çakır cruise missile from Bayraktar Akıncı is not just a defense milestone—it’s a geostrategic signal. It marks Türkiye’s full-fledged entry into the era of AI-powered autonomous warfare, setting it apart as one of the few nations capable of independently designing, producing, and fielding such systems.
