Anka UAV is one of the most modern products developed by the Turkish aerospace industry.
As a rising military power, Turkey is developing sustainable indigenous programs to reduce dependence on foreign supplies. Anka UAV is one of the most modern products developed by the Turkish aerospace industry. Named after the mythical winged beast, Anka is currently being evaluated to become the standard UAV of the Turkish Air Force – working with air and ground units to form a modernized effective combat force.
Envisioned in the early 2000s for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Anka has evolved into a modular platform with synthetic aperture radar, precise weapons and satellite communication. There are two versions that have been developed. The basic version, Anka-A, was classified as a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance missions. Introduced in 2010, Anka granted its first contract in 2013 from Turkish Air Force. The aircraft was set to a long development phase to introduce national mission computer, national flight control system, synthetic aperture radar, indigenous engine and friend or foe identification system.
Anka Block B is an improved version of the Anka Block A. The Anka Block B also has a greater payload capacity than that of the Anka-A, which paved the way for weaponisation of the platform in the foreseeable future. On 30 January 2015, the Anka-B completed its maiden flight successfully. The aircraft passed 30.000 feet, 26 hours and 200 km radius during the test flights. Turkish Air Force ordered 10 Anka Block B in 2013 at a cost of $300 million.
The Anka sports a wingspan of over 56.5 feet, a running length of over 26 feet and a ground height of 11 feet. The vehicle is powered by a single German-developed Thielert Centurion 2.0 series turbocharged 4-cylinder engine rated at 155 horsepower. This arrangement supplied the base Anka with a top speed of 135 miles per hour, an combat radius of 124 miles with a mission endurance time of 24 hours. The Anka can operate at altitudes up to 30,000 feet providing ground personnel with an excellent “eye in the sky”.
In terms of design, Anka is quite similar to popular Western UAVs, characterized by a tubular fuselage containing avionics, fuel and engines. The turbocharged engine is fitted aft and powers a three-bladed propeller in a “pusher” configuration. A pair of outward canted vertical tail fins are situated to either side of the engine housing. The main wing assemblies are fitted at amidships and are high-mounted onto the top of the fuselage spine.
Anka-S is a serial production configuration of Anka. It is equipped with a SATCOM antenna and a national flight control computer. On 17 August 2018, Directorate for Defence Industries announced that the Anka-S completed its first live fire tests. The platform was tested with MAM-L ammunition developed by the Roketsan. Although Anka have an operational range of about 100 miles, satellite-enabled Anka-S is capable of flying beyond “line of sight”.
According to the information given by TAI, The ANKA-S UAV is equipped with an Aselsan Common Aperture Targeting System, FLIR System and a domestically produced flight control computer. ANKA drones, which can detect targets and perform laser marking thanks to the CATS electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting system, can carry four Roketsan MAM-L Laser Guided Munitions.
