Türkiye Advances Stealth Combat Drone Capability as Anka III Enters Advanced Flight Testing.

Turkish Aerospace Industries has moved its Anka III unmanned combat aerial vehicle into advanced testing, marking a milestone for Türkiye’s indigenous aerospace sector. The jet-powered, low-observable design signals Ankara’s ambition to operate survivable drones in high-threat environments alongside manned aircraft.

Turkish Aerospace Industries has confirmed that the Anka III unmanned combat aerial vehicle has entered an advanced phase of testing, following a series of developmental flights and system evaluations. Company officials describe the aircraft as a clean break from earlier Anka variants, citing its jet engine, flying-wing layout, and reduced radar signature as core features designed for operations in contested airspace, where traditional medium-altitude drones face growing risks from modern air defenses.
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ANKA III stealth combat drone captured mid-flight during test trials over Türkiye, showcasing its radar-evading flying-wing design and jet-powered performance. (Picture source: Türkiye defense industry)

The ANKA III drone, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), departs from traditional MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone architecture by embracing a low-observable profile and internal weapons carriage. It marks Türkiye’s entry into the strategic domain of stealth drones, previously dominated by programs such as the U.S. Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie and the Chinese CH-7 Rainbow. The Anka III's use of a single turbofan engine and blended wing body design reduces radar signature while enabling speeds exceeding 0.7 Mach, a critical threshold for modern ISR-strike platforms expected to operate in GPS-denied or A2/AD environments.

Equipped with AESA radar, electro-optical systems, and a secure datalink suite, the Anka III is designed for deep strike, electronic warfare, and networked operations alongside manned fighters such as Türkiye’s upcoming KAAN fifth-generation aircraft. Operational range is reported to exceed 1,000 kilometers, with payload capacity surpassing 1,200 kg, capable of carrying precision-guided munitions and indigenous cruise missiles such as SOM-J, as well as stand-off jamming pods. This positions the drone not just as a surveillance asset, but a tactical strike platform capable of shaping the airpower balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond.

To understand the scale of this achievement, one must trace Türkiye’s drone program back to its earlier Anka platforms. The Anka I, unveiled in the early 2010s, marked Türkiye's first foray into medium-altitude surveillance drones. It laid the foundation for the Anka II, which introduced significant upgrades in avionics, flight endurance, and payload. The Anka II, also known as Anka-S in operational service, featured satellite communications, upgraded mission computers, and an extended wingspan that allowed for over 24 hours of continuous flight. It became a mainstay of Turkish military operations in Syria and Iraq, where it performed ISR, border security, and precision strike missions. The operational data and combat feedback gathered from Anka II deployments proved invaluable for refining the next generation of Turkish UAVs.

The Anka III is the product of this iterative combat learning loop. It integrates lessons not only from the Anka II but from the broader operational spectrum of Turkish drones, including Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci platforms. It also reflects Türkiye’s strategic decision to transition from propeller-driven MALE drones to high-speed, jet-powered UAVs with stealth features that can complement or substitute for manned combat aircraft. TAI began conceptual work on the Anka III in 2022, with wind tunnel testing and digital twin simulations preceding full-scale manufacturing. The prototype’s first ground engine tests were completed in early 2023, followed by a successful maiden flight in December of the same year. Since then, the drone has logged over 150 flight hours across a variety of profiles, including high-altitude loitering, terrain-following, and sensor-integration drills.

What sets the Anka III apart is not just its design, but the context of its emergence. Türkiye is rapidly transforming into a drone superpower, not merely as an operator but as an exporter and innovator. Turkish drone platforms have already altered battlefield dynamics in conflicts from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine, demonstrating the strategic utility of affordable, combat-proven UAVs. With each iteration, Turkish firms like TAI and Baykar have internalized advanced subsystems development, including indigenous engines, electro-optics, and mission software, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers and mitigating vulnerability to export bans.

This independence has allowed the Turkish defense industry to pursue increasingly ambitious UAV designs unconstrained by Western technology bottlenecks. From the TB2's dominance in asymmetric theaters to Akinci's heavy payload and manned-unmanned teaming functions, the ecosystem has matured rapidly. The Anka III now extends this momentum into the stealth domain, which had previously been the preserve of only the U.S., China, and select European prototypes.

By comparison, the U.S. XQ-58A Valkyrie, developed under the Skyborg program, shares similar objectives in low-cost attritable drone development but emphasizes swarming and manned-unmanned teaming. Meanwhile, China’s CH-7 remains largely demonstrative, with limited public insight into its readiness or deployment. European efforts, such as France’s nEUROn and the UK-led LANCA, remain in experimental or conceptual phases, constrained by budgetary or industrial coordination challenges. In contrast, Türkiye has leveraged a vertically integrated drone industry, drawing on operational feedback from Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine, accelerating iterative UAV innovation cycles beyond traditional Western acquisition timelines.

Strategically, the Anka III emerges at a time when stealth-capable drones are increasingly viewed not as future assets but immediate operational necessities. As the U.S. reorients toward great-power competition with China and NATO bolsters its eastern flank, Türkiye’s indigenous capabilities provide it with autonomy in high-end air operations. It also offers Ankara new leverage in defense exports, with potential interest from Gulf states and Central Asian allies seeking alternatives to U.S. or Chinese platforms limited by export controls or political strings.

TAI executives have confirmed that serial production is slated to begin within the next 18 months, with initial deliveries intended for the Turkish Air Force and naval variants under review. With a unit cost expected to undercut Western analogues, the Anka III is poised to reshape both operational doctrine and the international UAV export market. Its combination of speed, stealth, and multi-mission versatility places it in direct competition with legacy platforms, pushing NATO and other drone-producing countries to reassess their timelines for fielding similar capabilities.

As drone warfare evolves from permissive ISR environments to contested strike operations, the Anka III underscores a broader shift: stealth is no longer the preserve of billion-dollar programs but is becoming an accessible, modular attribute of next-generation UAVs. Türkiye’s breakthrough with the Anka III is not just a milestone in aerospace engineering - it is a strategic inflection point in how airpower is conceived, deployed, and exported in the 21st century.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.