Soaring For 30 Hours 30 Minutes, Turkey's TAI Anka Drone Sets Record For Longest Flight

Drone OR Anka, Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons / Mustafa.KarabasTUSAS)

JAKARTA - The Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) or Turkish Anka drone for short, set a new flight record in the middle of this month, staying in the air for 30 hours and 30 minutes, according to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), a manufacturing company.

TAI shared the related news via a Twitter statement. "Anka has achieved new success! It broke the record for longest flight by performing a mission flight of 30 hours 30 minutes in a surprise attack!"

The UCAV Anka, which broke the flight record, is expected to be in the next-generation anka configuration, according to open sources, as quoted by Daily Sabah January 22.

The next generation Anka drone is based on the Anka-S UCAV, which is already included in the inventory of the Turkish security forces.

In June last year, Turkey-based defense industry news platform SavunmaSanayiST.com reported that TAI had delivered four newly configured Anka-S drones, two of which have been allocated to the Turkish Navy, while the country's air force will deploy the other two. .

In an interview with the news site, TAI UAV Systems Deputy Chairman mer Yıldız said, the main difference between the new generation and the current Anka-S is in the wing and wing profile.

The Anka-S UAV has a payload capacity of up to 250 kilograms (551 pounds) and can stay in the air for up to 24 hours. With the new configuration, it can now carry up to 350 kilograms and stay in the air for up to 30 hours.

The Anka-S configuration, with Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) capability via satellite link, is used by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Gendarmerie units.

Meanwhile, the Anka-B configuration, which has Link Relay capability, is also used by TSK and Gendarmerie. Anka-I, on the other hand, is operated by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and is used in signal intelligence.

To note, this particular drone was also exported to Tunisia, its first overseas sale deal, while reports suggest that Kazakhstan will soon buy three Anka UCAVs.