ANKA-III, which made its first flight on December 28, 2023, took off for the third time and flew for two hours. According to the information the Anadolu Agency correspondent received, ANKA-III UCAV met the sky for the third time. ANKA-III, which flew for two hours in its last flight, reached a speed of 160 knots and rose to an altitude of 10 thousand feet. ANKA III thus improved all flight values. Autopilot and flight mechanics tests were also carried out during the flight. There is no information whether the landing gears were retracted. Following the evaluations of each flight test, new performance and mission envelopes will be opened for ANKA-III, and efforts will be made to prepare the platform for the mission. Development efforts for ANKA-III started in 2022. The system requirements were frozen after the System Requirements Review Meeting in March of the same year. The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) meeting held in April 2022 determined the exterior geometry design. Design studies were carried out for the changing subsystems, especially the new propulsion system, of ANKA-III, whose basic avionics architecture is common with ANKA and AKSUNGUR. The Critical Design Review (CDR) Phase began in October 2022. In November 2022, the first detailed part of the aircraft production was carried out.
ANKA-III’s structural assembly was completed in January 2023, and equipment and harnessing layouts were completed in February. ANKA-III went to the runway for taxi tests in April 2023.
ANKA-III successfully completed its first flight and has a large carrying volume with its fuselage structure. Thanks to its ANKA-III jet engine, it can carry a heavier payload faster. With its tailless structure, the platform has a lower radar cross section however it cannot engage in high manoeuvres.
The ANKA-III system will be able to carry 650 kilograms of ammunition at each of the two stations in the fuselage, 650 kilograms of ammunition at each wing inner station, and 100 kilograms of ammunition at each outer station. In this way, many options can be integrated into ANKA-III, including large munitions such as SOM-J, MK-82 and NEB Penetration Bomb, which are the most commonly used in unmanned aerial vehicles.
ANKA-III will perform ISR missions, attack with air-ground munitions, and neutralise enemy RF-emitting radar and air defence systems. It will also be able to perform several tasks, such as protecting friendly forces in the air and on land, signal and communication intelligence, electronic warfare, operations, and communication relay with other friendly elements.
