On December 6, 2019, the AKINCI UCAV made its maiden flight and on August 29, 2021, it was included in the national inventory. As of December 2022, export contracts were signed with five countries for AKINCI. About 1.5 years later, only 19 months after the concept design was completed, BAYKAR Technologies took KIZILELMA to the skies using the technical infrastructure and know-how gained from the AKINCI UCAV.

According to the statement made by BAYKAR Technologies, BAYRAKTAR KIZILELMA, which took off at 14:59 following the completion of the necessary pre-flight tests at the Akıncı Flight Training and Test Center located at Tekirdağ Çorlu Airfield Command, successfully completed its maiden flight and landed at 15:17. Türkiye's first domestically designed and built jet-powered Unmanned Fighter Aircraft, BAYRAKTAR KIZILELMA, ushered in a new era in Turkish aviation history with this historic first flight test lasting 18 minutes.