Anka UAV Completes Test Flight Programme

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has announced that the Anka Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV has completed the last flights of its acceptance test campaign. The campaign has been in progress since autumn 2012 and has seen around 130 different ground and flight tests successfully accomplished, witnessed by MoD Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) and Turkish Air Force representatives, proving the system’s mission readiness.

The penultimate flight test commenced on 20 January and concluded over 18 hours later on 21 January. During the flight, the aircraft successfully demonstrated its full endurance and 200 km data link range performances under winds reaching to 45 kts. Air Traffic Control (ATC) coordination was achieved through on-board radio, which was relayed to ground control station over the data link, demonstrating Anka's capability to operate safely in an airspace managed by ATC.

On a separate test flight on 22 January 22, night take-off and landings were demonstrated using Automatic Take-off and Landing System (ATOLS).

Since its first flight in December 2010, Anka system has accumulated more than 140 flight hours, during which flight control, data link, propulsion, fuel, landing gear, environmental control, ice protection and electrical systems, as well as mission systems including EO/IR payload, ATC radio and data recorder were tested at altitudes reaching 26000ft. Autopilot, navigation, automatic loiter pattern and ATOLS capabilities were demonstrated throughout the flight envelope, including severe weather conditions.

Contract negotiations are already underway with SSM for the initial serial production of ten Anka systems for the Turkish Air Force.