AKINCI Scores Historic Air-to-Air Kill With EREN Missile

The Sudanese Armed Forces have reportedly achieved a rare unmanned air-to-air combat success after a Bayraktar AKINCI destroyed an enemy drone using the EREN high-speed loitering munition developed by ROKETSAN.

According to statements released on 23 May, the Sudanese Army confirmed that its AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicle successfully intercepted and shot down a hostile drone during an aerial engagement. The strike marked one of the few publicly known cases of a combat UAV achieving an air-to-air kill using a missile-class munition.

Information obtained by Defence Turk indicated that the engagement was carried out using the EREN High-Speed Multi-Purpose Loitering Munition. The system was reportedly launched directly from the AKINCI platform and successfully neutralised the target in mid-air.

Clash Report further claimed that the drone destroyed by the Sudanese-operated AKINCI had taken off from Ethiopia. Ethiopia continues to serve as a critical logistical hub for the UAE-backed RSF militant group, according to regional security monitoring reports.

🛡️🇸🇩Sudan Ordusu, 🇹🇷AKINCI TİHA ile düşmana ait bir insansız hava aracını hava-hava füzesi ile düşürdü. pic.twitter.com/nnyJ9GIluB

— Defence Turk (@Defence_Turk) May 23, 2026

EREN Expands AKINCI’s Air Combat Role

Originally designed as a high-speed multi-purpose loitering munition, EREN is capable of engaging a broad spectrum of targets, including low-speed aerial threats, armoured and unarmoured ground vehicles, and personnel formations.

The weapon can be launched from unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, land vehicles, ground-based systems and naval platforms, significantly increasing operational flexibility across multiple combat environments.

One of EREN’s defining characteristics is its combination of long endurance and extended strike reach. The munition offers a flight duration of up to 60 minutes while exceeding a range of 100 kilometres, allowing operators to conduct persistent surveillance and strike missions far beyond frontline positions.

The system measures 2.6 metres in length and weighs approximately 60 kilograms. Its guidance architecture combines an inertial navigation system with GNSS support and an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker, enabling precision targeting in contested operational environments.

EREN carries a high-explosive blast fragmentation warhead designed to maximise lethality against both airborne and surface targets. The munition is specifically optimised to counter low-speed aerial platforms, including drones and rotary-wing aircraft, while also maintaining effectiveness against lightly armoured vehicles and infantry units.

The successful engagement in Sudan highlights the growing evolution of unmanned combat aviation, where advanced UAVs are increasingly taking on traditional fighter aircraft roles in both surveillance and direct aerial combat missions.