The ANKA-III Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) successfully completed its maiden flight in the morning hours of December 28, following its first engine run conducted in March 2023. The fully autonomous flight, lasting over an hour, included comprehensive in-flight controls, concluding with a successful automatic landing.

The ANKA-III UCAV, which stands out with its lower radar visibility thanks to its flying-wing configuration, the high speed provided by the turbofan engine, and the high carrying capacity of the internal stations, will significantly strengthen the country's defense.

The ANKA-III UCAV, poised to advance our capabilities in unmanned aerial vehicle technologies, is designed to operate at 40,000 feet, reach a speed of Mach 0.7, and stay airborne for up to 10 hours, with a take-off weight of approximately seven tons.

In a project that rapidly progressed from concept to the maiden flight, thanks to the dedicated efforts of nearly 250 engineers and technicians, artificial intelligence-supported modeling, simulation, and flight control technologies were employed. The maiden flight was meticulously rehearsed step by step during system integration tests conducted before the actual flight. It was observed that the autopilot gain settings derived from these tests could be seamlessly applied in real-flight conditions without any adjustments.

Building on the engineering expertise and 250,000 hours of flight experience gained with ANKA and AKSUNGUR, the ANKA-III Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle will be a vital addition to Turkish Aerospace's family of unmanned aerial vehicles to complement the needs of the operational environment, thanks to its use of common ground systems.