Ankara: Achieving a groundbreaking technological feat, Turkey successfully flew two of its KIZILELMA drones in close formation using artificial intelligence (AI), without any human intervention. The achievement is being hailed as a major first. Even global powers such as the United States, China and Russia have not demonstrated this capability so far.
According to reports, the two jet-powered weaponised drones completed the flight autonomously on December 28 within Turkish airspace. For the first time in the world, drones of this kind used AI and onboard sensors to coordinate their flight paths, maintain precise positioning relative to each other and return safely, all without human control.
Close formation flying requires precise synchronisation between aircraft to avoid collisions. The AI systems and onboard data sensors of the drones continuously exchanged information to ensure seamless coordination at high speeds. This capability allowed both drones to maintain perfect alignment throughout the mission and demonstrate the power of AI in complex aerial operations.
To make the flight possible, Turkey adapted the drones’ flight management algorithms. Engineers say that in the future, this technology could allow swarms of multiple drones to fly together autonomously. Each drone would communicate with the others in real time, share information and adjust its position automatically, freeing human operators to focus on other tasks.
The successful demonstration is a milestone in AI-powered aviation and military technology. It highlights Turkey’s growing expertise in autonomous systems. Analysts say that such capabilities could transform drone operations and offer unprecedented precision and efficiency in aerial missions.
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