Ankara, Nur-Sultan to jointly make UAVs

Turkey and Kazakhstan will jointly develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Yeni Shafak newspaper reports.

According to the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), Anka UAVs, exported to Kazakhstan, will now be jointly made in this country, the report added.

Stressing the growing popularity of the Turkish defense industry products abroad, TAI General Manager Temel Kotil said that the country would significantly contribute to the regional defense and aviation industry.

“We are very excited to sign a new agreement on the production facility for our Anka. We are proud that our Anka, which we have developed with local and national capabilities, is popular abroad. Under this agreement, which will contribute to the defense and aviation industry of the region, we will contribute to the further strengthening of our trade and friendly relations with friendly Kazakhstan. I wish our cooperation to be successful," Kotil said.

Under the new agreement signed between TAI and Kazakhstan Engineering Company, cooperation will be carried out on technology transfer issues, including maintenance and repair processes as well as production.

Thus, Kazakhstan became Ankara's first production partner outside Turkey. With the new cooperation agreement, an important step has been taken toward the development of human resources and the development of Kazakhstan’s UAV production capacity, the report underlined.

The new cooperation deal followed the export agreement that was signed between Turkey and Kazakhstan in 2021.

The Turkish Aerospace Industries produced the TAI Anka series of unmanned aerial vehicles primarily for the Turkish Air Force. Anka, a modular platform featuring synthetic aperture radar, accurate weaponry, and satellite communication, was designed in the early 2000s for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Anka-A was designated as a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance operations in its basic configuration. Anka was established in 2010 and received its first contract from the Turkish Air Force in 2013.

Further research into enhanced continuous intelligence, reconnaissance and communication systems was ordered by the Air Force. The aircraft went through a lengthy development process in order to incorporate a national mission computer, national flight control system, synthetic aperture radar, an indigenous engine, and a friend or foe identification system.

Anka-B first flew in 2014, and factory testing was completed in 2015. Anka-S was introduced by Turkish Aerospace Industries in 2017 and entered service with the Turkish Air Force.

The Anka-B and Anka-S options are manufactured by the Turkish Aerospace Industries. Anka-I was created particularly for signal intelligence by Turkey's National Intelligence Organization. As of March 2021, Anka had logged over 90,000 flying hours.