AKINCI completed its first MORFOZ firing over the Gulf of Saros on 8 October 2026, hitting a target with ASELSAN’s guidance kit, according to Baykar. The manufacturer published the result the next day and ASELSAN followed with a technical account describing separation, guided flight and a final impact.
What happened on the Çorlu test sortie
The launch began from the Flight Training and Test Centre at Çorlu. Baykar’s account describes AKINCI carrying MORFOZ together with Roketsan and STM’s ALPAGUT munition; it reports a MORFOZ release and the aircraft’s return to Çorlu, and does not report an ALPAGUT firing on that flight. ASELSAN’s technical description says the munition separated safely, executed a predetermined series of manoeuvres to validate its autopilot algorithms, and struck the target.
ASELSAN’s MORFOZ guidance configuration
ASELSAN describes MORFOZ as a winged guidance kit combining inertial and satellite navigation, waypoint tracking and a selectable set of impact angles. Deployable wings are specified to increase reach, and the company says the kit can be used day or night in a range of weather conditions. An eight-channel controlled-reception-pattern antenna is listed to provide resistance to satellite-navigation jamming, while onboard telemetry feeds information back to the aircraft during flight. ASELSAN’s published account does not include numerical figures for range or accuracy, nor does it state whether the jamming-resistance measures were subjected to trial during the firing.
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End the scrambleHow AKINCI is configured for weapon integration
Baykar’s published AKINCI specifications accompany the MORFOZ integration claim. For the aircraft in current service, Baykar lists a maximum take-off weight of 6,000 kg, a 1,500 kg payload and a 20‑metre wingspan. Stated endurance exceeds 20 hours, with an operating altitude of 30,000 feet and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet. The aircraft is described as twin‑engine (two turboprops) with a triple‑redundant autopilot and satellite links for command-and-control and video beyond line of sight. Baykar also specifies three redundant line‑of‑sight links, autonomous taxiing, take‑off and landing, and ground‑control options including trailer, shelter or indoor stations. Sensor payloads listed by the manufacturer include electro‑optical and infrared systems, a laser designator, a multimode electronically scanned radar, signals‑intelligence equipment and electronic‑warfare support systems.
Previous guidance‑kit work: KIZILELMA, TOYGUN, LGK‑82 and TEBER‑82
Baykar’s announcement places MORFOZ alongside prior guidance integrations. In July, another Baykar aircraft, the jet‑powered KIZILELMA, used ASELSAN’s TOYGUN electro‑optical targeting system in a guided‑bomb test; TOYGUN located and designated a fixed ground target for weapons fitted with ASELSAN’s LGK‑82 and Roketsan’s TEBER‑82 guidance kits. Earlier tests paired a 500‑pound‑class bomb with LGK‑82 laser guidance, and TEBER‑82 combined satellite and inertial navigation with laser guidance. Those earlier activities involved Turkish targeting and guidance equipment on another Baykar aircraft and were separate from the October MORFOZ firing.
What this means for technologists, procurement officers, and export customers
- Technologists and security teams will note ASELSAN’s emphasis on combined inertial/satellite navigation, waypoint tracking and a multi‑channel antenna for jamming resistance; they will watch for follow‑on data on range, accuracy and the operational testing of anti‑jamming capabilities.
- Procurement officers evaluating AKINCI weaponisation should factor Baykar’s listed payload and endurance figures — a 1,500 kg payload and endurance above 20 hours — together with the aircraft’s triple‑redundant autopilot and multiple communications links when considering mission fit and integration complexity.
- Export customers and operators will see MORFOZ added to an existing AKINCI weapons inventory that already includes TOLUN, HGK‑82, KGK‑82‑SİHA and ÇAKIR; Baykar additionally stated that export agreements had been signed with a total of 16 countries, a commercial detail buyers and planners will note.
Baykar’s published announcement formally adds ASELSAN’s MORFOZ guidance kit to the AKINCI integrated-weapons inventory and documents a first operational firing from the platform. The technical notes describe a functioning separation sequence, autonomous manoeuvring to validate autopilot algorithms and a terminal strike, while stopping short of quantified performance metrics or confirmation that jamming resistance was trialled during the event. Close observers will therefore track subsequent trials and technical disclosures to move from a validated demonstration to a benchmarked capability.
Source: Quwa — ASELSAN MORFOZ Guidance Kit Hits Target in First AKINCI Firing
