ASELSAN’s MURAD AESA radar is one of the key steps that pushes Türkiye’s air power into a new league. Instead of just “upgrading an old radar”, MURAD is creating a common sensor backbone for F-16s, UCAVs like Akinci and Kizilelma, and the future fighter Kaan.
In this article we explain what the MURAD AESA radar is, why AESA technology is so critical and what it really changes for Kizilelma and the F-16.
1. What is MURAD? A short overview
MURAD (Milli Uçak Radarı – “National Aircraft Radar”) is a family of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars developed by ASELSAN. Variants such as MURAD 100-A and MURAD 110-A are designed as multi-role fire control radars with air-to-air and air-to-ground modes that can work at the same time.
Key points:
- Solid-state T/R modules across the antenna face
- Agile electronic beam steering (no need to rotate the antenna mechanically)
- Simultaneous air and surface modes
- Built-in resistance against jamming and T/R module failures
In practice this means a radar that can search, track and support missile guidance in multiple directions at once, even in a dense electronic warfare environment.
2. Why does AESA matter so much?
An AESA array is basically:
- Hundreds or thousands of tiny transmit/receive “eyes”
- Each one controlled by software
- The beam can be moved almost instantly, without moving any mechanical part
This brings three big advantages:
- Speed – the radar can jump its beam between different sectors in milliseconds.
- Multitasking – tracking air targets, mapping the ground (SAR / ISAR) and supporting weapons, all at once.
- Survivability – if some modules fail or are targeted by jamming, the rest can still keep working.
Modern air combat is brutally simple in one sense:
Whoever sees first, classifies better and keeps track longer usually gets the first shot.
MURAD’s AESA architecture is designed exactly for that.
3. MURAD on F-16s: turning old airframes into new fighters
For the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fleet, MURAD sits at the heart of the Özgür / Özgür II modernisation effort. The nose radar is replaced with a MURAD variant (often referred to as 110-A for F-16s), bringing:
- Longer detection and tracking ranges
- True multi-target tracking and engagement
- Better air-to-ground mapping for precision strike
- A fully domestic radar that can be updated and adapted in-house
In simple terms, MURAD gives the F-16s:
A new pair of eyes that match the latest generation of radars, without needing a brand-new airframe.
4. From Akinci to Kizilelma: MURAD moves into the unmanned world
MURAD is not limited to manned aircraft. It has already flown on Bayraktar Akinci and Bayraktar Kizilelma:
- Akinci: integration of the MURAD-100A radar enabled the first air-to-air radar lock tests from a UCAV platform.
- Kizilelma: dedicated test flights validated the MURAD 100-A AESA radar performance on the unmanned fighter.
This means that MURAD is becoming:
A shared radar language between manned fighters and unmanned combat aircraft in Türkiye’s inventory.
5. MURAD + Kizilelma + GÖKDOĞAN: the new air-to-air triangle
In later trials, Kizilelma used its MURAD AESA radar to:
- Detect a jet-powered target aircraft at beyond-visual-range distance
- Track it and provide the fire control solution
- Conduct a simulated or live BVR shot with the GÖKDOĞAN air-to-air missile
This is a global first: an uncrewed fighter using an AESA radar + BVR missile combination to engage another aircraft in air-to-air combat.
MURAD’s role in that triangle is clear:
- It sees the target early,
- Maintains a stable track,
- Feeds guidance data to GÖKDOĞAN throughout the engagement.
6. MURAD 600-A and the Kaan fighter: towards an integrated RF brain
For TAI Kaan, Türkiye’s next-generation fighter, MURAD appears in an even more ambitious form. The MURAD 600-A nose radar is part of an Integrated RF System (IRFS) that combines:
- AESA radar functions
- Wideband spectrum monitoring
- Directional jamming and electronic attack
- Advanced SAR / ISAR imaging modes
Instead of separating “radar” and “electronic warfare” into two black boxes, IRFS treats them as parts of one smart RF brain.
7. Bottom line: MURAD as Türkiye’s “common eye” in the sky
Put together:
- MURAD AESA is being integrated on F-16s, Akinci, Kizilelma and Kaan, creating a shared radar ecosystem.
- It brings longer-range detection, multi-target tracking and strong EW resistance to both manned and unmanned platforms.
- Combined with Kizilelma and BVR missiles like GÖKDOĞAN, it enables true unmanned air-to-air combat, not just reconnaissance or close support.
For BuzzTurk readers, the core idea is simple:
MURAD is not “just another radar” – it is the common eye and RF brain behind Türkiye’s new generation of fighters and UCAVs.