Turkish Naval Forces (DzKK) received two more Anka unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) produced by the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) said Wednesday.
The ranges of the newly delivered UCAVs were increased, according to the SSB.
The presidency said in a Twitter statement that the UCAVs will maintain their duty of securing the seas surrounding Turkey, which is also known as the “Blue Homeland.”
Most recently in August 2020, another Anka drone with a longer range and equipped with an automatic identification system and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) was delivered to the DzKK.
The Anka, which can be deployed in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas with its SAR and camera load for surface reconnaissance and surveillance missions, can gather intelligence from a distant range and above clouds thanks to its new radar system.
The system will also be able to identify and pinpoint positions of surface elements. With the imaging modes, intelligence can be gathered from strategic targets such as ports and base areas. It can also detect the speed and location of moving targets thanks to its high-tech search modes.
The UCAV first entered the Turkish military's inventory in 2016 following the successful testing of a prototype in 2013.
Turkish defense giant Aselsan completed the serial production of the SARPER SAR System, imaging and moving target detection radar developed for aerial platforms, and delivered it to TAI.
One of these systems has been integrated into the Anka, with flight tests carried out to this end.
