Türkiye's Anka-3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) completed its first flight with ammunition, its developer Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) said on Sunday.
"ANKA III made its first flight with ammunition!" the company said in a post on social media platform X.
"ANKA III, the product of our strength and determination on the path to a fully independent Türkiye, gives excitement and pride with the successes it has achieved one after another," it added.
"Our defense industry is advancing rapidly into the future with the power of our domestic and national technology."
In a separate post, TAI General Meanger Mehmet Demiroğlu expressed pride over another milestone the country's first flying-wing, deep-strike stealth unmanned fighter jet has achieved.
"ANKA III has left another milestone behind. Our national pride ANKA III, which made its first flight with ammunition, once again demonstrated the power it will provide to our country in the field of defense," Demiroğlu said.
"With the pride of taking another successful step, we continue to move forward at full speed toward our ever-rising goals," he noted.
The Anka-3 UCAV successfully completed its maiden flight last December following its first engine run conducted in March 2023.
Earlier in August this year it completed a key flight test by retracting its landing gear in the air, marking another significant milestone in its development.
It is the third member of TAI's Anka drone family and boasts several advantages such as low radar visibility, high speed thanks to its jet engine, and a substantial payload capacity.
The Anka-3 is expected to be capable of flying at a service altitude of up to 40,000 feet and withstand flight for up to 10 hours at 30,000 feet. It can travel at 250kts/0.42M at 30,000 feet, while its maximum speed reaches 425kts/0.7M at the same altitude.
With a maximum takeoff weight of 6,500 kilograms (14,330.1 pounds) and a practical load capacity of 1,200 kilograms, it can carry a wide range of payloads.
