Turkish new stealth drone Anka-3 performs maiden flight.

On December 28, 2023, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the successful maiden flight of the Anka-3, a flying-wing unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), Hurriyet Daily News reported. During its inaugural flight, the Anka-3 reached a speed of 150 knots and executed a runway overshoot test.

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TUSAŞ has projected that the aircraft will be capable of operating at altitudes of up to 40,000 feet and sustaining flights for up to 10 hours at an altitude of 30,000 feet. (Picture source: TUSAŞ)

On December 28, 2023, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proudly announced the successful inaugural flight of the Anka-3, an innovative flying-wing unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), as reported by Hurriyet Daily News. During its maiden flight, the Anka-3 achieved an impressive speed of 150 knots and conducted a successful runway overshoot test.

The Anka-3 UAV is equipped with a low by-pass Turbofan engine and boasts a versatile range of capabilities, including reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering, air-to-ground attacks with various munitions, engagement of enemy helicopters, propeller planes, and UAVs using air-to-air ammunition, counteracting enemy RF-emitting radar and air defense systems, signals and communications intelligence, as well as electronic warfare. Additionally, it can effectively serve as an operational and communication relay alongside other friendly elements.

This cutting-edge drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 6,500 kg and a practical payload capacity of 1,200 kg. When configured for carrying ammunition, the Anka-3 system can accommodate 650 kg of ammunition at each of the two stations in the fuselage, 650 kg of ammunition at each of the wing inner stations, and 100 kg of ammunition at each of the outer stations. This remarkable versatility allows for the integration of a wide range of options, from standard UAV ammunition to larger munitions such as SOM-J, Mk-82, and Mk.82 class SDB.

On December 28, 2023, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the successful maiden flight of the Anka-3 (Picture source: TUSAŞ/AA)

The Anka-3 system is built upon the foundation of ground systems used in Anka and Aksungur UAVs, with the addition of a new software system for enhanced functionality. Consequently, the ANKA-3 system can be seamlessly controlled using the same ground systems as Anka and Aksungur, enabling these three systems to complement each other in performing common tasks. Furthermore, a low by-pass Turbofan engine is installed on the drone to enhance its performance.

TUSAŞ has projected that the aircraft will be capable of operating at altitudes of up to 40,000 feet and sustaining flights for up to 10 hours at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The Anka-3 has a maximum takeoff weight of 6,500 kg and a practical payload capacity of 1,200 kg (Picture source: TUSAŞ)