Türkiye Positions ANKA III Stealth Combat Drone for Production as Next-Gen Strike Asset.

Türkiye has finalized the design of its ANKA III stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle after completing a critical design review, clearing the path toward serial production for the Turkish Air Force. The move signals Ankara’s push to field a low-observable strike drone that could compete in the emerging global market for collaborative combat aircraft.

At the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, Army Recognition’s reporting team got a close look at Turkish Aerospace Industries’ ANKA III as the program shifts from headline-grabbing prototype flights to a production-defined combat system. The unveiling atmosphere in Riyadh carried a clear message from Turkish officials and industry representatives: ANKA III is being positioned as a low-observable strike and reconnaissance asset designed to plug into Türkiye’s next-generation air combat ecosystem, not simply as another armed drone for permissive skies. That framing gained extra weight after Turkish media reported that TAI has now finalized the ANKA III design following its critical design review, clearing a key hurdle on the road toward larger-scale acquisition for the Turkish Air Force.
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TAI ANKA III stealth UCAV on display at World Defense Show, a flying-wing strike and ISR drone designed for manned-unmanned teaming, featuring internal weapons carriage for low-observable precision attacks, high-altitude endurance, and networked targeting in contested airspace (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

ANKA III is built around a stealthy flying-wing layout intended to reduce radar cross-section while preserving useful internal volume for fuel and weapons. According to Turkish sources, the aircraft is roughly 7.9 m long, with a 12.5 m wingspan and a 2.5 m height, a maximum takeoff weight of about 6,500 kg, and a quoted payload capacity of 1,200 kg. Endurance is advertised at up to 10 hours at 30,000 ft, with a service ceiling around 40,000 ft, and performance in the high subsonic bracket, including a maximum speed in the 0.7 Mach class and a cruise speed around 250 knots. Those numbers matter because they place ANKA III in a practical middle category: large enough to carry meaningful weapons, fuel, and sensors, but not so heavy that it becomes a scarce, exquisite asset.

What makes the platform strategically interesting is the combination of internal carriage and a networked wingman concept. TAI’s leadership has been explicit that ANKA III is expected to operate alongside HURJET and KAAN under manned-unmanned teaming, and TAI showcased this collaborative approach again at World Defense Show by pairing ANKA III drones in a supervised strike and targeting role around a crewed fighter. From an operational standpoint, that translates into a drone that can be pushed forward to extend the sensor and weapons reach of manned aircraft, while the pilot retains decision authority for identification and engagement in tighter rules-of-engagement environments.

After its maiden flight in late 2023, ANKA III moved quickly into weapons demonstrations, including a notable internal bay release milestone with the TOLUN guided munition, showing that the aircraft is not limited to bolt-on external stores that compromise signature. That internal carriage is central to the concept of operations: in a contested air defense environment, survivability is as much about reducing detection opportunities as it is about speed. External hardpoints still have value, particularly for permissive airspace missions, heavy ISR pods, ferry tanks, or weapons where stealth is not the priority, and the WDS display configuration underscored that flexibility, even if the low-observable mission set is clearly the headline.

On propulsion, TAI has pointed to continued Ukrainian engine supply for the current single-engine configuration, while also highlighting a domestic path if geopolitical friction tightens access. That matters because engines are the pacing item for both production rate and variant growth. TEI’s TF6000 indigenous turbofan, designed in the 6,000 lbf thrust class, is frequently discussed as the national alternative foundation for future Turkish uncrewed jets and derivative growth. A domestic engine option would not just protect supply, it would give Ankara more freedom to offer export customers tailored configurations without third-party restrictions.

In tactical terms, ANKA III can be used in several distinct ways by an acquiring country. For air forces, the cleanest use case is stand-in ISR and precision strike: ANKA III can loiter at altitude to build a target picture, then release guided munitions from internal bays while minimizing radar exposure during the final approach. For navies and coastal commands, it becomes a persistent maritime reconnaissance and strike enabler, particularly when paired with standoff weapons and cueing from surface radars or patrol aircraft. For armies facing cross-border infiltration or dispersed insurgent networks, its value is the kill chain compression: one platform collecting imagery, confirming targets, and delivering a guided weapon, without demanding scarce fighter sorties.

As of early 2026, ANKA III is not yet a widely fielded in-service system, but Türkiye is positioning it for scale. TAI’s CEO has publicly indicated expectations for a Turkish Air Force order exceeding 50 aircraft as serial production ramps, signaling intent to buy in mass rather than as a boutique capability. Export prospects will likely follow Türkiye’s established ANKA family footprint, where multiple countries have already purchased or contracted for earlier ANKA variants for ISR and strike roles, creating a familiar training and sustainment pathway that ANKA III can exploit as it matures.

Against competitors, ANKA III’s closest analogs are not the slow MALE strike drones it will inevitably be compared to, but the emerging class of stealthy collaborative combat aircraft. Compared with Boeing’s MQ-28 or Kratos’ XQ-58, ANKA III appears optimized for longer endurance and heavier internal payload rather than attritable mass at the lowest cost, while still aiming for production quantities that suggest a tolerance for battlefield risk. Compared with Russia’s S-70 or China’s GJ-11, it sits in a lighter bracket that may be easier to export, support, and deploy from a wider range of bases. The most immediate competition may actually be domestic: Baykar’s Kızılelma emphasizes fighter-like performance and air-to-air ambitions, while ANKA III’s flying wing design leans harder into signature management, internal carriage, and deep strike utility. In Riyadh, the message from TAI was clear: this is not a drone meant to merely accompany the future force; it is meant to be a large part of it.