engineering

TAI Anka-3

TAI Anka-3 is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TAI Anka-3 rather than just read about it. In short: The TAI Anka-3 is a flying wing type autonomous, stealth, carrier-capable multirole unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) with AI-enabled systems and loyal wingman capability, currently in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries. Its first version is primarily designed to attack ground and sea targets but can also carry air-to-air missiles.

Key takeaways

TAI Anka-3 belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TAI Anka-3 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TAI Anka-3 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The TAI Anka-3 is a flying wing type autonomous, stealth, carrier-capable multirole unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) with AI-enabled systems and loyal wingman capability, currently in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries. Its first version is primarily designed to attack ground and sea targets but can also carry air-to-air missiles. It is one of two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAVs developed along with the Bayraktar Kızılelma. The Anka-3 is equipped with a suite of advanced operational capabilities. Key among these features is manned-unmanned teaming, allowing it to coordinate effectively with piloted aircraft. The platform also leverages swarm technologies integrated with artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, the aircraft is also equipped for electronic warfare (EW), signals intelligence (SIGINT) and deep strike missions. The aircraft used common avionics architecture and ground segment with TAI Anka and TAI Aksungur.

Development The runway tests of the Anka-3 began in April 2023. Its maiden flight took place on 28 December 2023. The UCAV was airborne for one hour and ten minutes. On 20 August 2024, the Anka-3 successfully performed its first in-flight landing gear retraction test, marking another significant milestone in its development. On 20 September 2024, the Anka-3 successfully completed its first live-fire test, striking its target with precision. This test, conducted with the collaboration of Aselsan and Roketsan, represents a milestone for Türkiye’s rapidly advancing defense industry. The live-fire test was carried out using the AF500 electro-optic camera system, produced by Aselsan, and the Teber-82 guidance kit, developed by Roketsan. On 30 October 2024, a TAI Anka-3 UCAV armed with a cruise missile became the first drone in history to be controlled by another aircraft in the loyal wingman role, representing an advancement in remote control capabilities for military aviation. On 13 January 2025, a TAI Anka-3 successfully completed a strike mission test with internal munitions such as the Tolun bomb. On 25 June 2025, a TAI Anka-3 prototype crashed during a test flight conducted as part of the Anatolian Eagle 2025 international exercise.

Design

Propulsion and performance Initially powered by a single engine, TAI plans to equip the Anka-3 with two TEI-TF10000 turbofan engines. These domestically developed engines are expected to provide the UCAV with supersonic capabilities, allowing it to accompany the crewed KAAN combat aircraft.

Operational capabilities Designed for high-speed operations, the Anka-3 offers both air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities. Its low radar signature enhances survivability, while its endurance of up to 10 hours and high altitude capabilities enable long-range missions. The UCAV can operate autonomously with line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight control. Beyond its combat role, the Anka-3 can perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, as well as electronic warfare. Future variants may be larger with increased payload capacity, further expanding its capabilities.

Integration and future prospects The Anka-3 is part of a broader Turkish drone ecosystem, including the Şimşek and Süper Şimşek drones. These unmanned systems work together to provide a comprehensive aerial capability. Production of the Anka-3 is underway, with plans to deliver multiple units by 2028. The development of the Anka-3 and its associated technologies reflects Turkey's aim to reduce reliance on foreign military equipment and establish a domestic defense industry. The Anka-3's emergence is part of a global trend towards integrating unmanned systems into military operations. Its capabilities and the broader Turkish drone program have attracted international attention, with countries like Indonesia expressing interest in acquiring similar systems.

Specifications (prototype) The aircraft is now in the prototype stage. The technical specification of the production version could be different.

Data from Turkish Aerospace Industries, Jane's, TRT Haber, Turkish MinuteGeneral characteristics Capacity: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) Length: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in) Wingspan: 13.1 m (43 ft 0 in) Height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) Max takeoff weight: 7,250 kg (15,984 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko-Progress AI-322 Turbofan engine Performance

Maximum speed: 787 km/h (489 mph, 425 kn) 0.7 Mach Cruise speed: 460 km/h (290 mph, 250 kn) 0.42 Mach Combat range: 1,075 km (668 mi, 580 nmi) air-to-air or air-to-ground configuration Endurance: 10 hours Service ceiling: 12,000 m (40,000 ft) Operational altitude: 7,600 m (25,000 ft) Armament

Hardpoints: 2 × internal stations (can carry up to eight munitions within its internal weapons bay), 5 × external stations on wings. Missiles Air-to-surface missiles SOM-J air-launched cruise missile (The missile has land attack and anti-ship capability) Air-to-air missiles Imaging infrared (IIR) guided air to air missile Radar guided air to air missile TUAV Süper Şimşek Bombs TOLUN guided glide bombs (The bomb has bunker buster capability. It is equipped with INS / GPS guidance.) Teber-82 (Mark 82 bomb equipped with Roketsan guidance kit. The kit is equipped with INS, GPS and a Semi-active laser seeker.) Mark 82 bomb , with provisions to carry combinations of: Other: External drop tank Avionics

Aselsan MURAD 100-A AESA radar Electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system: Aselsan TOYGUN Aselsan ASELFLIR600 IR Search and Track System KARAT IRST Electronic warfare: Electronic warfare support measures (ESM) and Electronic attack (EA) equipments Signals intelligence: Communications intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic intelligence (ELINT) equipments

See also Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B DRDO Ghatak

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TAI Anka-3

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TAI Anka-3 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TAI Anka-3 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TAI Anka-3 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TAI Anka-3

In research: TAI Anka-3 appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TAI Anka-3 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TAI Anka-3 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2020s Turkish military aircraft, Aircraft first flown in 2023, Carrier-based aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TAI Anka-3 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TAI Anka-3 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TAI Anka-3 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TAI Anka-3 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TAI Anka-3 in simple terms?

Why does TAI Anka-3 matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TAI Anka-3?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TAI Anka-3.