"Illustration: AI-generated conceptual representation of AYAZ. It is not an official TUSAŞ image and does not represent confirmed design details."
Turkey is developing a new jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle called AYAZ, adding another platform to TUSAŞ's growing family of high-speed unmanned systems.
Although details about AYAZ remain limited, recent statements from TUSAŞ CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu provide some important clues about the system's intended characteristics.
Smaller Than SÜPER ŞİMŞEK
AYAZ is being developed as a smaller platform than TUSAŞ's SÜPER ŞİMŞEK.
According to Demiroğlu, AYAZ has a range of more than 200 kilometers and is designed with low radar observability in mind.
This places AYAZ below SÜPER ŞİMŞEK in size and range, but potentially gives it an important advantage in missions where a smaller radar signature and compact dimensions are more valuable than endurance or payload capacity.
TUSAŞ already describes ŞİMŞEK as a high-speed target aircraft capable of simulating the flight characteristics of fighter aircraft and missiles. The platform can also carry different payloads, including radar and infrared signature augmentation systems and warhead payloads.
More Than a Kamikaze Drone?
One of the more interesting aspects of TUSAŞ's approach is that these platforms are not necessarily being developed exclusively as one-way attack drones.
Demiroğlu has emphasized that TUSAŞ's small unmanned platforms can be configured for different missions and payloads rather than being limited to a single role.
That could allow AYAZ to become part of a broader family of relatively inexpensive unmanned systems performing different functions in contested airspace.
Possible roles could include:
- One-way attack missions
- Decoy operations
- Air-defence saturation
- Electronic warfare support
- Target simulation
- Other specialized payload missions
The exact operational configuration of AYAZ has not yet been publicly disclosed, so these roles should be considered potential applications rather than confirmed capabilities.
Why the Smaller Size Matters
The most interesting question may be why TUSAŞ is developing AYAZ as a smaller platform.
A smaller air vehicle can potentially offer several advantages. It can be easier to deploy in larger numbers, may present a smaller radar signature and could require less storage and transportation space.
Its compact size could also make integration with larger aircraft an interesting possibility.
This becomes particularly relevant in light of TUSAŞ's recent work with ANKA III. In August 2026, TUSAŞ released imagery showing an ANKA III flying with two SÜPER ŞİMŞEK vehicles under its wings.
If AYAZ eventually receives a suitable air-launch or carriage configuration, its smaller dimensions could potentially make it useful for deployment from larger unmanned or manned platforms.
That possibility has not been officially confirmed, however.
Part of a Larger Turkish Unmanned Ecosystem
AYAZ should therefore not be viewed as an isolated project.
TUSAŞ is developing a family of unmanned platforms ranging from the ŞİMŞEK target aircraft to SÜPER ŞİMŞEK and the much larger ANKA III combat aircraft.
The recent ANKA III/SÜPER ŞİMŞEK flight demonstrates an increasingly interesting concept: a larger unmanned combat aircraft acting as a carrier or combat node for smaller unmanned systems.
AYAZ could eventually occupy another layer of this ecosystem, particularly where a smaller and potentially lower-observable platform is required.
What We Know About AYAZ
Confirmed or publicly reported:
- Developed by TUSAŞ
- Jet-powered unmanned aircraft
- Smaller than SÜPER ŞİMŞEK
- Range of more than 200 km
- Designed with low radar observability in mind
- Intended as a multi-purpose platform rather than necessarily being limited to a single mission
Still unknown:
- Maximum speed
- Take-off weight
- Payload capacity
- Engine type
- Dimensions
- Guidance system
- Launch method
- Production timeline
- Intended service entry date
These details will be important for understanding where AYAZ fits within Turkey's growing family of unmanned systems.
Our Assessment
AYAZ may be more significant for its design philosophy than for its currently known specifications.
Turkey is increasingly developing unmanned systems in different sizes and roles rather than relying on a single type of UAV. A smaller, low-observable and relatively inexpensive jet-powered platform could complement larger systems such as ANKA III and SÜPER ŞİMŞEK.
The biggest question is therefore not simply how far AYAZ can fly.
It is how Turkey intends to use large and small unmanned systems together.
If AYAZ eventually becomes part of a network in which larger platforms deploy or coordinate smaller unmanned systems, it could become an important component of Turkey's approach to operations in heavily defended airspace.
For now, however, most details remain undisclosed. Further information from TUSAŞ will be needed before its final mission profile can be assessed with confidence.
DefenceTR will continue to follow the development of AYAZ and Turkey's expanding unmanned combat aircraft ecosystem.
Sources
- TUSAŞ
- DefenceTurk
- TURDEF
- Public statements by TUSAŞ CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu
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