, a Turkish state-owned defense contractor, announced Monday on X that its stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), ANKA III, successfully carried out its first launch of a guided glide bomb from its internal weapons bay.){kind=link}
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), a Turkish state-owned defense contractor, announced Monday on X that its stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), ANKA III, successfully carried out its first launch of a guided glide bomb from its internal weapons bay.
ANKA III’ten bir ilk! 💪🏻
ANKA III gövde içerisinden mühimmat atışını başarıyla gerçekleştirdi.
@aselsan’ın yerli ve millî üretimi TOLUN mühimmatı ile 20 bin feet irtifada 180 knot hızla atış gerçekleştirildi.Gövde içerisinden yapılan atışla ANKA III operasyonel kabiliyetini… pic.twitter.com/7WnAXHKhj8
— Türk Havacılık Uzay Sanayii (@TUSAS_TR) January 13, 2025
The test was conducted at an altitude of 20,000 feet while the ANKA III was cruising at 180 knots and demonstrated the aircraft’s ability to deploy state-run defense contractor Aselsan’s domestically produced Tolun guided glide bomb.
Defense Industry Agency (SSB) Secretary Haluk Görgün praised the achievement in a statement on X.
“The test at 20,000 feet and 180 knots represents the peak of our independent defense technologies,” Görgün said, referring to the launch of the Tolun from the drone’s internal bay.
Görgün attributed the success to the cooperation between TAI and Aselsan employees and SSB personnel who managed the project.
The ANKA III represents Turkey’s latest development in unmanned aircraft. Its flying-wing design minimizes radar detection. The drone is powered by the AI-322 engine, manufactured by Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. It can reach a speed of 425 knots and an altitude of 40,000 feet.
ANKA III is capable of operating for 10 hours and carrying a 1,200 kilogram payload. It can perform a wide range of missions, from intelligence gathering to precision strikes, and is primarily designed as a deep-strike aircraft, leveraging its flying-wing design.
The drone is armed with a variety of weapons, including Teber-82 laser-guided bombs and Tolun guided glide bombs. TAI also plans to integrate the ANKA III into Turkey’s fighter jet program, KAAN, for joint combat missions.
Aselsan’s Tolun uses GPS guidance to strike targets at a range of 55 nautical miles and is capable of engaging multiple targets in one mission. The ANKA III can carry up to eight munitions within its internal weapons bay.
Tolun is equipped with drag-inducing, diamond-shaped wings and is capable of penetrating reinforced concrete targets.
Turkish officials indicate that ANKA III will expand its operational capabilities to include air-to-air combat, electronic warfare and air defense suppression missions.
The ANKA III program has reached several milestones since its maiden flight in December 2023, including its first live-fire test in September 2024.