The TAI Anka is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). The program began with a development contract signed on December 24, 2004, intended to satisfy the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces. The prototype achieved its first flight on December 30, 2010, and following acceptance tests completed by the Turkish Air Force in January 2013, the aircraft officially entered operational service in 2017.
Designed as an all-weather, day/night ISR platform, the Anka is capable of tracking stationary and moving targets, performing signals intelligence (SIGINT), and acting as a communications relay. The baseline model is powered by a single Thielert Centurion 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder piston engine, which delivers 155 hp (114 kW). This configuration supports a maximum takeoff weight of 3,527 lb (1,600 kg). To expand operational capabilities, TAI developed the Anka-S variant, which incorporates satellite communications to enable network-centric operations and control ranges beyond the line of sight.
In addition to ISR, armed versions of the Anka can carry a variety of precision-guided munitions, including MAM-L and MAM-C smart micro-munitions, Cirit and Bozok laser-guided rockets, and L-UMTAS long-range anti-tank missiles. These capabilities have been utilized extensively by the Turkish Air Force, the Turkish Naval Forces, the Gendarmerie General Command, and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT).
Combat deployment has seen the Anka utilized in several Syrian operations, including Operation Euphrates Shield (2016–2017), Operation Olive Branch (2018), and Operation Spring Shield (2020). However, these operations resulted in losses, including two units shot down in Syria during early 2020 and two lost in Libya that same year. More recently, in October 2023, a USAF F-16 shot down an Anka-S over Syria.
Beyond Turkey, the Anka has become a successful export product. Tunisia received its first Anka-S on November 13, 2021, and Indonesia signed a $300 million contract for 12 systems. Other nations that have placed orders include Algeria, Malaysia, Chad, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. By 2024, production had reached over 100 units. The Anka's design legacy continues through the development of the larger Aksungur (Anka-2) and the stealthy, tailless Anka-3 flying-wing UCAV, which first flew in December 2023.