Jakarta. Indonesian defense firm Republikorp Group and the Turkish drone powerhouse Baykar recently signed a contract for unmanned fighter jets.

According to a Republikorp statement, the latest deal is a follow-up to the joint venture agreement that they had signed back in 2025 to produce unmanned aviation vehicles Bayraktar TB3 and AKINCI, in Indonesia. Republikorp said that the Bayraktar Kizilelma should be able to back Indonesia’s fighter jet fleet starting in 2028.

The deal encompasses technology transfer, human capital development, as well as maintenance, repairs, and operations (MRO) facility, to name a few. 

"Together with Baykar, we are building a sustainable aerospace and unmanned systems ecosystem that spans from production, maintenance, to human capital and research into future technologies,” Republikorp Group chairman Norman Joesoef was quoted as saying in the statement.

Ankara-based news outlet Anadolu Agency, quoting Baykar boss Haluk Bayraktar, wrote that the company would deliver the 12 units of the Kizilelma starting in 2028. The contract also includes an option for an additional four squadrons totaling 48 units for future procurement. Bayraktar Kizilelma is one of the world’s first unmanned fighter jet technologies.