ANKA III, Türkiye's new generation unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), has made its public debut at Türkiye's premier technology and aviation event TEKNOFEST.

The aircraft designed and produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) flew together with advanced jet trainer aircraft HURJET and basic trainer aircraft HURKUS during the event's second day on Thursday.

Türkiye's first vertical tailless turbofan-engine UCAV was designed to operate at 40,000 feet, reach a speed of Mach 0.7, and stay airborne for up to 10 hours. It can carry approximately seven tons at take-off.

With its jet engine, ANKA III is faster than its peers, has a high payload carrying capacity, and is less visible on radar with its tailless structure, according to TAI.

The unmanned combat aerial vehicle provides different missions, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence, with air-ground munitions, air-to-air ammunition, and radar systems.

TAI began working on the vehicle in 2022. ANKA III completed its maiden flight in December 2023, following its first engine run conducted in March 2023.

Independent defence industry

The five-day TEKNOFEST, which kicked off on Wednesday, hosts airshows conducted by several homegrown aircraft.

Türkiye’s focus on the defence industry, and particularly its commitment to domestic defence production, is increasing. While the local content rate in the defence industry was below 20 percent in 2000, itincreased to 80 percent in 2022.

Non-economic reasons for the increase include concerns over national security and strategic autonomy. Economic reasons, on the other hand, range from saving long-term costs to creating export potential.