Report: Uzbekistan Signs Contract for Turkish ANKA SİHA Drones

ANKA SİHA Drone. Photo: savunmasanayist.com

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has signed a contract with Uzbekistan for the supply of ANKA SİHA drones, according to SavunmaSanayiST.com, a news portal specializing in Turkey’s defense industry and military aviation.

Details regarding the number of drones Uzbekistan will receive and the cost of the deal have not been disclosed. Deliveries are expected to begin in the near future.

The ANKA SİHA is a single-engine unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii (TUSAŞ) for the Turkish Armed Forces. It has a flight endurance of up to 30 hours and a payload capacity of 350 kilograms. A twin-engine variant, the AKSUNGUR, has a payload capacity of 750 kilograms and can remain airborne for up to 50 hours. Both drones are equipped with turbodiesel aviation engines.

The ANKA SİHA is currently exported to six countries: Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Chad.

The export price of the ANKA drone exceeds $25 million. In 2020, Tunisia’s Ministry of Defense purchased three ANKA drones for $80 million. In 2023, Indonesia signed a contract for 12 ANKA drones valued at $300 million. These agreements typically include not only the drones themselves but also military training, ammunition packages, and control stations.