Farnborough 2010: TAI details MALE UAV offering
July 20, 2010
Further details of the Anka MALE UAV being developed by TAI for the Turkish armed forces have been revealed by the company at Farnborough International Air Show.
The UAV, which is costing over $100 million to develop and deliver, was officially rolled out in Turkey on 16 July. The company said that the UAV is now undertaking ground tests and a maiden flight is expected in October this year.
The contract for Anka was signed in 2004 and the critical design review was performed in June 2009. The company was keen to emphasise that Anka was not a prototype but a fully fledged procurement.
The UAV is an advanced composite design powered by a Thielert heavy fuel engine. Ozcan Ertem, executive vice president integrated aircraft, said that the aircraft had a 24 hour endurance at 30,000 feet and a range of 200km with the current datalink.
Anka has a wingspan of 17.3 metres and length of eight metres. The max take off weight is 1600kg and a payload of over 200kg. The system is transportable on a C-130 transport aircraft.
The sensor fit for the aircraft is being provided by a Aselsan. It includes the company's Aselflir-300T EO/IR sensor and a SAR/GMTI which is currently in the process of trials aboard a manned aircraft.
Initial operational capability with just the EO/IR sensor is set for September 2011. Full operational capability with both sensors is scheduled for December 2011.
To date the Turkish Air Force has ordered three aircraft with the attendant ground control system. However, TAI believes that further domestic orders will be forthcoming once the system is fielded. Ertem told UV that TAI is able to accommodate manufacture of up to 10 air vehicles a year on its current production line.
http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/uvonline/farnborough-2010-tai-details-male-uav-offering/6785/
