Turkeys Anka Male UAV has begun its flight test programme following a maiden flight undertaken on 30 December.
TAI is developing the type to answer a requirement of the Turkish armed forces, but it is also to be offered for export.
TAI (Hall 10, Stand A12) received a development contract in December 2004 under the TIHA (tactical UAV) programme, and the first Anka air vehicle was rolled out in July. It has a 1,600kg maximum take-off weight, with a 500kg fuel load and 200kg payload capacity. In prototype form, at least, it is powered by a 116kW Thielert heavy fuel engine.
TAI has funding to provide a complete Anka prototype system. IOC with the Aselsan Aselfir 300T EO/IR payload is planned for later this year, and a full capability that adds an Aselsan SAR/ISAR/GMTI radar is scheduled for the end of 2012. The radar is in full development and will be flight-tested on the companys manned Tracker platform.
Turkey plans to acquire 30 Anka systems to fulfil its medium-altitude/long endurance (MALE) UAV needs.
Each system comprises three air vehicles and associated ground elements, including a radar based automatic take-off and landing system with differential GPS back-up, ground control system and mobile imagery exploitation system. The system includes portable streamed imagery terminals that can be used by soldiers in the field.
Currently the air vehicle has a dual-redundant high-data rate line-of-sight datalink, but it has been designed with the option of accepting satcoms, as well as weaponry.
IDEX2011