ANKA, the advanced MALE-class UAS, is being developed for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). Under the development programme three aircraft and one ground control station has been designed and produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the aerospace centre of Turkey.
With a length of 8m, wingspan of 17m, and designed for day and night all-weather ISR mission capabilities, ANKA has been developed in two phases. The first phase ANKA platforms are referred to as the Block A standard. Since the first flight in December of 2010, the ANKA Block A system has accumulated more than 180 flight hours, during which flight control, data link, propulsion, fuel, landing gear, environmental control, ice protection and electrical system, as well as EO/IR/LRF/LD payload, ATC Radio and data recorders have all been tested at altitudes up to 26,000 feet. Development and acceptance test phase of Block A system was completed in February of 2012.
In the Block B version, a dedicated weight reduction programme has been realised to the air vehicle and the new generation ANKA platform (Block B) production has started at the beginning of 2014. The new generation ANKA will have a SAR/ISAR/GMTI payload with a 30,000ft service ceiling and 24hr endurance capabilities. The maiden flight of the Block B ANKA has been scheduled for June of 2014. In parallel, SAR/ISAR/GMTI radar integration studies on the ANKA Block B are currently underway. The tests for the radar payload will be performed during the second half of this year.
A series production contract has been signed between the Turkish Air Force and TAI in October of 2013, as a result of the success of the development programme. Referred to as the ANKA-S, the system will have Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLoS) operation capabilities in addition to being integrated with a new generation EO/IR/LD/LRF camera. The Air Vehicle will be modified with a new nose fairing to accommodate satellite communications. Design work on the ANKA-S is currently in progress, where the Systems Requirements Review (SRR) has been successfully completed and the design development of the programme has been accelerated. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) is expected to be held in May.
From the perspective of TAI, ANKA has been the regeneration of the Turkish aviation industry after a 50 year pause. However, work is now progressing onto more capable and complex platforms. The first aim will be an enlarged ANKA powered by a turboprop engine. This would provide outfitting of the aircraft with an increased payload capacity up to a 1000kg. The top level decision making mechanism of the Turkish Defence Industry, the Defence Executive Committee has given the go-ahead for the development of such an aircraft in the summer of 2012.
With the expansion of local design and development capabilities and proof of platform maturities, the interest of international customers in the TAI UAS programme is also seeing an increase. TAI is on the right path to becoming an UAS centre and present its family of products to the international market.
With a length of 8m, wingspan of 17m, and designed for day and night all-weather ISR mission capabilities, ANKA has been developed in two phases. The first phase ANKA platforms are referred to as the Block A standard. Since the first flight in December of 2010, the ANKA Block A system has accumulated more than 180 flight hours, during which flight control, data link, propulsion, fuel, landing gear, environmental control, ice protection and electrical system, as well as EO/IR/LRF/LD payload, ATC Radio and data recorders have all been tested at altitudes up to 26,000 feet. Development and acceptance test phase of Block A system was completed in February of 2012.
In the Block B version, a dedicated weight reduction programme has been realised to the air vehicle and the new generation ANKA platform (Block B) production has started at the beginning of 2014. The new generation ANKA will have a SAR/ISAR/GMTI payload with a 30,000ft service ceiling and 24hr endurance capabilities. The maiden flight of the Block B ANKA has been scheduled for June of 2014. In parallel, SAR/ISAR/GMTI radar integration studies on the ANKA Block B are currently underway. The tests for the radar payload will be performed during the second half of this year.
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| TAI ANKA MALE UAS (Photo: TAI) |
A series production contract has been signed between the Turkish Air Force and TAI in October of 2013, as a result of the success of the development programme. Referred to as the ANKA-S, the system will have Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLoS) operation capabilities in addition to being integrated with a new generation EO/IR/LD/LRF camera. The Air Vehicle will be modified with a new nose fairing to accommodate satellite communications. Design work on the ANKA-S is currently in progress, where the Systems Requirements Review (SRR) has been successfully completed and the design development of the programme has been accelerated. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) is expected to be held in May.
From the perspective of TAI, ANKA has been the regeneration of the Turkish aviation industry after a 50 year pause. However, work is now progressing onto more capable and complex platforms. The first aim will be an enlarged ANKA powered by a turboprop engine. This would provide outfitting of the aircraft with an increased payload capacity up to a 1000kg. The top level decision making mechanism of the Turkish Defence Industry, the Defence Executive Committee has given the go-ahead for the development of such an aircraft in the summer of 2012.
With the expansion of local design and development capabilities and proof of platform maturities, the interest of international customers in the TAI UAS programme is also seeing an increase. TAI is on the right path to becoming an UAS centre and present its family of products to the international market.
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| The advanced ANKA MALE UAS is being developed for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the aerospace Center of Turkey. With a length of 8m, wingspan of 17m, and designed for day and night all-weather ISR mission capabilities, ANKA includes a EO/IR/LRF/LD payload, ATC radio, and data recorders. The new generation ANKA Block B will have a SAR/ISAR/GMTI payload with a 30,000ft service ceiling and 24hr endurance capabilities. The maiden flight of the Block B ANKA has been scheduled for June of 2014. (Photo: TAI) |