TAI Anka
Turkish medium-altitude long-endurance UAV family, first flown in 2010.
The TAI Anka is a family of medium-altitude long-endurance drones built by Turkish Aerospace Industries for the Turkish Air Force and foreign buyers. Its name comes from Zümrüd-ü Anka, the Turkish mythological phoenix. First imagined in the early 2000s for surveillance and reconnaissance, the Anka has grown into a modular platform that can carry synthetic-aperture radar, precision-guided munitions, and satellite communication gear. It also handles electronic warfare and signals intelligence tasks. The drone shares its avionics architecture and ground control setup with the TAI Anka-3 and TAI Aksungur. It can operate autonomously, including automatic take-off and landing. The original Anka-A was a pure surveillance and reconnaissance drone, used only for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions. Introduced in 2010, Anka granted its first contract in 2013 from Turkish Air Force. The air force then pushed for better uninterrupted intelligence, reconnaissance, and communication technologies. This led to a long development phase to add a national mission computer, national flight control system, synthetic-aperture radar, an indigenous engine, and a friend-or-foe identification system. The Anka-B first flew in 2014 and finished factory tests in 2015. In 2017, Turkish Aerospace Industries unveiled the Anka-S, which entered service with the Turkish Air Force. The company now offers two versions: Anka-B and Anka-S. Anka-I was built specifically for Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization to gather signals intelligence. As of March 2021, the Anka fleet had logged over 90,000 flight hours.
The Anka platform uses a redundant architecture to support autonomous operations and system reliability. It has an Automatic Take-Off and Landing System (ATOLS) that works without operator input. This system relies on two positioning sources: a Radar Tracking System and Differential GPS (DGPS) for precise navigation. If communication with the ground station is lost, the drone automatically returns to base and lands. It can also perform emergency landings at alternate fields if the original runway is unreachable. Data is sent through two encrypted, redundant data links for line-of-sight (LOS) operations. For beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) missions, a Satellite Communication (SATCOM) system is used.
Quick Facts
- National Origin
- Turkey
- Manufacturer
- Turkish Aerospace Industries
- First Flight
- 30 December 2010
- Introduction
- 16 July 2010
- Primary User
- Turkish Air Force
- More Users
- General Directorate of Security (Turkey)
- Produced
- 2010 - present
- Number Built
- 102
- Developed Into
- TAI Aksungur
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Anka program began with a contract effective 24 December 2004 for an indigenous MALE UAV system. Three prototypes and ground systems were to be developed by mid-2011. The first Anka completed its debut flight on 30 December 2010, lasting 14 minutes. Subsequent test flights included a 2-hour 30-minute calibration mission on 5 May 2011, a 6-hour flight at 20,000 feet on 22 November 2011 demonstrating automatic take-off and landing, and an 18-hour acceptance test in January 2013. Two crashes occurred during development: one on 27 September 2012 due to a technical problem, and another on 6 December 2013 in southeastern Turkey. The basic version, Anka-A, introduced in 2010, was used only for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. Anka-B first flew in 2014 and completed factory tests in 2015. Anka-S entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2017. Anka-I was developed specifically for Turkey's National Intelligence Organization for signals intelligence. The aircraft uses common avionics architecture and ground segment with TAI Anka-3 and TAI Aksungur. It features an Automatic Take-Off and Landing System (ATOLS) relying on dual positioning sources (Radar Tracking System and Differential GPS), and can autonomously return to base or perform emergency landings if communication is lost. The airframe has retractable landing gear and anti-icing systems on wings and tail surfaces.
Reader's Guide
The TAI Anka represents a significant step in Turkey's development of indigenous unmanned aerial systems, evolving from a surveillance platform into a modular, multi-mission aircraft. Its open architecture supports synthetic-aperture radar, precision-guided munitions, satellite communication, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence. The aircraft was extensively used during Operation Euphrates Shield and other Turkish operations in Syria and Iraq, providing operational experience that informed its development. The integration of the Şimşek target drone launched from an Anka-B marked a first for a MALE-class UAV. By May 2021, payload capacity and endurance were updated to 350+ kilograms and 30 hours. The Anka's redundant data links, autonomous landing capability, and all-weather day/night sensor suite (including electro-optic/FLIR turret and SAR/GMTI/ISAR radar) make it a versatile asset for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions. Its ground control system and data link, developed by Savronik, provide complete redundancy.
Did You Know?
- The Anka is named after the mythological creature Zümrüd-ü Anka, the Turkish name for the Phoenix.
- The first Anka flight on 30 December 2010 lasted only 14 minutes.
- As of March 2021, the Anka fleet had accumulated more than 90,000 flight hours.
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