TUSAŞ CEO Temel Kotil stated that a twin-engine configuration of ANKA-3 flying-wing UCAV will be developed to accompany the KAAN fighter jet.
According to Kotil, the upcoming variant is being developed for supersonic speeds to keep up with the KAAN fighter jet that will have supercruise capability. ANKA-3 is planned as a part of TUSAŞ’s OKU system, which involves teaming the manned KAAN fighter jets with unmanned platforms.
The prototype of the UCAV is powered by an AI-322 turbofan engine, which provides a max speed of 835 km/h. Twin engine configuration also means this variant will be larger and have more payload capacity for munitions.
While Temel Kotil didn’t give details on other differences, it is safe to say that there will be noticeable design changes, such as a narrower profile to optimise for supersonic speeds. Smaller sweep angles cause performance losses when transitioning to supersonic speeds due to shockwave effects.
This makes TUSAŞ one of the few firms to work on supersonic flying-wing aircraft. For example, the U.S. plans for its future fighter jets (NGAD and F/A-XX programmes) to be in this configuration.
TUSAŞ to Develop Twin-Engine ANKA-3 UCAV Variant
