Saudi Plans to Buy Anka UAVs from Turkey
The Saudis are in talks with Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) for the purchase of six Anka MALE UAVs and two ground controls stations
Dan Arkin
| 21/11/2017
The Anka UAV (Photo: TAI)
Saudi Arabia is planning to purchase six Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), as well as two ground controls stations. There are also negotiations on the possibility of technology transfer to the Kingdom.
Defense News cited Gorkem Bilgi, manager of the corporate marketing and communications department at TAI as saying that the "negotiations have been ongoing since 2013 but no official contract has been signed yet."
"The Saudis had some requirements regarding the reconnaissance issues and we are still negotiating this part of the agreement," he added.
The Anka is TAI’s first indigenous design in aerospace, according to the report. The Turkish Air Force currently operates four UAVs and is expected to receive an additional ten in 2018. The Turkish Air Force and the Ministry of Interior are the main operators of the aircraft.
A military source told Defense News that "the United Arab Emirates has negotiated the acquirement of the aircraft, but the negotiations have not led to tangible results, especially since the UAE is locally developing its own unmanned systems."
The Saudis are in talks with Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) for the purchase of six Anka MALE UAVs and two ground controls stations
The Anka UAV (Photo: TAI)
Saudi Arabia is planning to purchase six Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), as well as two ground controls stations. There are also negotiations on the possibility of technology transfer to the Kingdom.
Defense News cited Gorkem Bilgi, manager of the corporate marketing and communications department at TAI as saying that the "negotiations have been ongoing since 2013 but no official contract has been signed yet."
"The Saudis had some requirements regarding the reconnaissance issues and we are still negotiating this part of the agreement," he added.
The Anka is TAI’s first indigenous design in aerospace, according to the report. The Turkish Air Force currently operates four UAVs and is expected to receive an additional ten in 2018. The Turkish Air Force and the Ministry of Interior are the main operators of the aircraft.
A military source told Defense News that "the United Arab Emirates has negotiated the acquirement of the aircraft, but the negotiations have not led to tangible results, especially since the UAE is locally developing its own unmanned systems."
