With an operating time of 30 hours, a combat range of 250 km, a service ceiling of about 9,000 meters, this UAV is really an important addition to the air forces of Southeast Asian countries.
A few months after Malaysia placed an order for Anka drones from Turkey, Indonesia also reached an agreement with the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), to add modern drones to its military.
On August 1, Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense announced that it had signed an agreement with Turkey to purchase 12 advanced unmanned aerial vehicles worth $300 million, marking another step in efforts to modernize military equipment. The agreement with the Ankara-based Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) was concluded in February, with the delivery of the drones slated for completion within a span of 32 months from the signing. Although the official statement on specific drone models remains secret, media sources have quoted TAI General Manager Temel Kotil as confirming that the deal will include Anka unmanned aerial vehicle.
This year, Indonesia’s Defense Ministry has been granted the largest allocation from the country’s total budget, totaling 134.3 trillion rupiahs ($8.89 billion). This is an action that concretizes the country’s commitment to strengthening its military capabilities. In January 2023, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto successfully signed an agreement worth $800 million, to purchase 12 2-hand Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar. In February 2022, Indonesia also purchased 42 Rafale fighters, worth $8.1 billion.
The Indonesian variant is said to be the Anka-S, which is a mass-produced variant offered for the export market. Aside from being used as an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, the Anka UCAV can be used for surveillance and can be equipped with radars and cameras. Anka UAV is one of the most modern products developed by the Turkish aerospace industry, which currently being evaluated to become the standard UAV of the Turkish Air Force – working with air and ground units to form a modernized effective combat force.
In terms of design, Anka is quite similar to popular Western UAVs, characterized by a tubular fuselage containing avionics, fuel and engines. The turbocharged engine is fitted aft and powers a three-bladed propeller in a “pusher” configuration. A pair of outward canted vertical tail fins are situated to either side of the engine housing. The main wing assemblies are fitted at amidships and are high-mounted onto the top of the fuselage spine.
Anka-S is a serial production configuration of Anka. It is equipped with a SATCOM antenna and a national flight control computer. On 17 August 2018, Directorate for Defence Industries announced that the Anka-S completed its first live fire tests. The platform was tested with MAM-L ammunition developed by the Roketsan.
