Turkey’s Newest Unmanned Combat Aircraft TAI ANKA-3 Successfully Completes Its First Flight
Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) ANKA-3 unmanned combat aircraft successfully completed its first flight test on December 28. ANKA-3 took off from the runway at 08.38 Turkey time (GMT+3) and flew for 1 hour and 10 minutes in its first flight. During the test, the unmanned fighter aircraft powered by a Turbofan engine reached an altitude of 8,000 feet and a speed of 150 knots. The aircraft was accompanied during this flight by the HÜRKUŞ trainer aircraft, and the ANKA-1 unmanned aerial vehicle, both developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, posted the following on his X account on the development: “Our unmanned combat aircraft ANKA III, developed by TAI, successfully completed its first flight today. Hopefully, our aircraft will make a strong contribution to the defense of our country with its advanced technologies, design and features.” Erdoğan also shared a video of ANKA-3’s first flight in his post.
Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency, stated:
“We have introduced another national system with very advanced technologies to the sky. Our ANKA-3 UAV will perform reconnaissance, surveillance, air-air and air-ground attack missions with its high payload carrying capacity, tailless structure and low radar cross-section. As we enter a new year, we wholeheartedly congratulate all our engineers and technical personnel who make us proud. We will continue to work towards full independence in our defense industry under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
On December 24, 2015, TAI made their objective to develop a flying wing unmanned aerial vehicle public during a panel discussion titled “Turkey’s UAV Roadmap with Developing Technologies,” which was co-hosted by SETA, SSB, and STM. After seven years, on December 16, 2022, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay made the initial announcement of the flying wing unmanned combat vehicle ANKA-3, which is featured on the TAI Product-Based Development Roadmap, during the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The first images and features of the aircraft prototype were shared with the public in March 2023.
According to available sources, the ANKA-3, which is roughly the size of a light combat aircraft, has a wingspan of approximately 12 meters and a length of 9 meters. With a maximum take-off weight of 6.5 tons, the aircraft can carry up to 1,200kg of weapons and payloads in seven different weapon stations, one under the fuselage center, two internal, and two under each of its wings. The service altitude of the ANKA-3 is 40,000 feet, its maximum flight altitude is 44,000 feet, and its flight time is 10 hours. The aircraft is powered by an AI-322 series turbofan engine developed by the Ukrainian Ivchenko Progress. It can reach a cruising speed of 250 knots (0.42 Mach) and a maximum cruise speed of 425 knots (0.7 Mach) in this manner.
The ANKA-3’s radar trace is anticipated to be low due to the absence of horizontal and vertical stabilization in the tail design and the weapon station being situated in the fuselage. The ANKA-3, which will be equipped with both a within visual range and beyond-visual-range communication data link, is intended to perform tasks such SEAD-DEAD (Suppression-Destruction of Enemy Air Defense), ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and Electronic Warfare.