Vestel Karayel
Vestel · Turkey · first flew 2013 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Vestel Karayel is a Turkish medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, developed by Vestel Defence as part of Turkey's drive for indigenous UAV capability.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Turkish medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance drone with pusher propeller
- Straight mid-mounted wing with twin-boom tail or conventional tail
- Designed for ISR and armed reconnaissance by Vestel Defence
A mid-wing monoplane drone with a pusher propeller at the tail, fixed undercarriage fairings, and a sensor ball under the nose — similar in concept to other MALE UAV designs.
Specifications
- The Vestel Karayel has a length of 6.5 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.5 m (34 ft).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 2013, the Karayel was developed to give Turkey an indigenous MALE UAV capability rather than relying on foreign systems. It has been exported to several countries and demonstrated an armed variant with munitions capability, contributing to Turkey's growing UAV export market.
Variants
The Karayel-SU is an armed variant; further development has continued under Vestel and related Turkish defence programmes.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the Turkish Armed Forces and exported to international customers including Ukraine; not operated by UK forces.
Related aircraft
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