“We Plan to Render the Supersonic Target Drone a Product that Flies at Mach 0.9 Later This Year”
Defence Turkey: Could you please provide us with information on the current status of the ANKA MALE UAV Program? Could you also inform us about the number of ANKAs produced to date, the number expected to be produced in 2022, the deliveries to be made to two countries in accordance with the export contracts, and the ongoing negotiations?
Ömer YILDIZ: So far, 36 ANKAs have entered the inventory and they have flown more than 120,000 hours. As you know, these are long-endurance aircraft and can operate for up to 30 hours. This mission record was achieved with the aircraft we sold to Tunisia; they flew for 30 hours and 30 minutes. Together with four MAM-Ls, the ANKA MALE UAV can fly for over 19 hours. Our aircraft are used by the Air Force, the Naval Forces, the Gendarmerie Command, and the Presidency. The ANKA UAV is an aerial vehicle developed in line with the needs of the Turkish Air Force and as per their directives. Therefore, it is a particularly effective vehicle in meeting the related needs. Türkiye has been fighting against terrorism for many years. During this struggle some needs have emerged, and we need to address these needs. These vehicles have proven themselves to be highly effective and efficient in the fight against terrorism. Thanks to their features, they are in high demand in Africa, Egypt, and other countries around the world.
Defence Turkey: You mentioned that 36 ANKA MALE UAVs have already been delivered. Could share the total order amount? What could you tell us about the ongoing production activities?
Ömer YILDIZ: The Turkish Air Force (TurAF) has another 10-pack order, which is currently being produced.
Defence Turkey: Is it the third 10-pack?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, this is the third 10-pack. We exported to Tunisia and Kazakhstan, and this evening we have the acceptance flight of Tunisia's first aircraft. Together with it, the acceptance of Tunisian ANKA UAVs will have been completed. As I previously mentioned, the ANKA UAV produced for Tunisia conducted the longest flight, with a mission flight of 30 hours and 30 minutes.
Defence Turkey: Thanks to its new wing design ANKA MALE UAV’s internal fuel capacity and endurance has been increased considerably. Does the New Generation of Improved ANKA UAVs which are being delivered to end users also feature this new wing design?
Ömer YILDIZ: Previously, as you know, we had aircraft with various characteristics known as Block-A, Block-B, Block-S. We currently only have one aircraft. Every feature on it is now optional, and all our new ANKA UAVs have this new wing design. With this redesigned wing, we have increased the payload carrying capacity from 250 kg to 350 kg. We can also take fuel inside that wing; we can take extra fuel. The endurance has been improved with this new wing, and it can now operate for over 30 hours.
Defence Turkey: With the wing design change, the ANKA MALE UAV can carry 350 kg, but there is still one external load station under each wing. In TUSAŞ’s promotional video, a design image with two external load stations under each wing was shared. Do you have any plans to increase the number of external load stations under the wing, or does the new wing design have such a capacity?
Ömer YILDIZ: For a 350 kg payload, four stations in total are sufficient, two external load stations on each wing. It is possible to install and carry a total of 8 MAM-Ls, two at each of the four points. ANKA can fly for 19 hours with four MAM-Ls. AKSUNGUR flies for 12 hours with 28 MAM-Ls. With 4 MAM-Ls, it can fly for 43 hours.
Defence Turkey: As the number of ANKAs produced increased and the local contribution rate in it increased the engine became indigenized. The PD155 was produced initially, then the PD170. Is the PD170 currently used on the ANKAs that you have delivered?
Ömer YILDIZ: By the end of this year, ANKAs will be delivered with the PD170, but it is currently used on AKSUNGUR.
Defence Turkey: I suppose it was installed on one of the prototypes. I believe that was on prototype number 1.
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, it is being used on our prototype number 1.
Defence Turkey: I distinguish whether the aircraft has a PD170 or PD155 or Centurion 2.0 engine from the location of exhaust manifold/pipe. For example, on the AKSUNGUR, which was exhibited in the static display area during the IDEF '21 Fair, the exhaust manifold on the engine was right-handed, as in the case with the PD170 engine.
Ömer YILDIZ: The location of the exhaust pipe is changeable. The PD155 engine is placed horizontally however, the PD170 is placed vertically. The PD170 has two turbos, a twin turbo. The Centurion 2.0 is a single-turbo engine. With the twin turbo, you can go to higher altitudes.
Defence Turkey: But there is only one exhaust manifold pipe on these engines, right?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, there is only one.
Defence Turkey: Both ŞİMŞEK and the new supersonic target drone are mounted on the ANKA UAV displayed here at the booth. Could you inform us about these products?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, it has both ŞİMŞEK and the faster version of ŞİMŞEK. This is the aircraft that we will fly at supersonic speeds.
Defence Turkey: The TJ90 Turbojet Engine, a TEI product, started to be used on the ŞİMŞEK. What is the latest status regarding the engine?
Ömer YILDIZ: The engines have been tested, but they are not being used. There are engines we bought from abroad, and we are using them. But in the meantime, in addition to TEI, there are other small domestic manufacturers developing engines, and we also employ their engines.
Defence Turkey: Could you give us the company name?
Ömer YILDIZ: There is the company IDEALAB, for example, that develops engines.
Defence Turkey: Yes, I know that company, they displayed their products at IDEF as well.
Ömer YILDIZ: We are using the smaller engines that the manufacturer provides. By the end of this year, we will begin using their more powerful engines. There are several other companies as well.
Defence Turkey: Does the supersonic drone also have a domestic engine, or is it supplied from abroad?
Ömer YILDIZ: The supersonic drone has a foreign engine, but there are some problems there. It seems that we will not be able to proceed with them. We expect it to be a domestic engine.
Defence Turkey: Yes, I’ve heard that there was a problem with the foreign engine for the transition to supersonic speeds.
Ömer YILDIZ: Right, we are having some issues with the engine. Therefore, we will use indigenous engines to resolve this issue, hopefully before the end of this year. These engines are small engines and need to be modified for special purposes. If you are working with a company abroad, it takes a year to send the request for modification, to achieve full comprehension for both sides, to correspond on the matter, and on the other hand, additional charges are required. However, if you have a local business at your disposal, you can go there straight away, knock on their door, and then sit down and negotiate. Thus, in a few weeks, at least you start to advance, even if it takes time to find a solution. It is more challenging to clear a path with the alternate option.
Defence Turkey: SSD-002 is written on the Supersonic Target Drone displayed under the wing of the ANKA MALE UAV here, so is this prototype number 2? Could you inform us on the most recent developments in the ongoing Supersonic Target Drone test process?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, this is the prototype number 2. Let me first simply describe the purpose of the target drone. To evaluate air defense systems, we employ target drones. As soon as they are launched, the air defense systems destroy them. As a result, we determine that the air defense system is effective. The target drone imitates an approaching missile or aircraft. The speed now is sufficient to mimic an aircraft. We are flying at 400-410 knots. We will increase it to 450 knots very soon.
Defence Turkey: With an indigenous engine?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, with indigenous engines. But supersonic speed is required if you want to mimic a missile. Consequently, a supersonic target drone is required. You cannot fire down a real plane if you are developing your own air defense systems. To do that, we need test aircraft to evaluate the developed system's performance.
Defence Turkey: In one of your previous statements, you mentioned that this Supersonic Target Drone can be equipped with an RF jammer, if necessary, in order to carry out the task of imitating hostile radars. Any progress achieved in this regard?
Ömer YILDIZ: It is not a jammer; this capability already exists on the ŞİMŞEK. The ŞİMŞEK High Speed Target Drone has a Radar Cross Section Augmenter. It can display its Radar Cross Section (RCS) signature up to 10 meters larger. In addition, like the ANKA, this drone is autonomous, meaning without on-board pilots. You upload the mission plan to it, and it flies. You can change the mission plan while it is flying. It has a miss distance indicator (MDS) on it, able to measure the direction of the bullet or missile in relation to itself and at what distance it passes by. Its working principle is that you don't have to shoot down the aircraft every time. You aim ahead or behind the aircraft. If you aim 10 meters ahead of it and the MDS measures that the bullet or missile passes within 10 meters, it means that you are successful. You may not always wish to shoot the target aircraft down because doing so entails a cost. The aircraft has a link and is in continuous communication with the ground.
Defence Turkey: Is it a Line-of-Sight (LoS) communication link?
Ömer YILDIZ: Yes, it is an LoS data link. There is a camera on the drone, and we can transfer the camera footage to the ground instantly. We can launch this drone from ANKA. Through the data link, ŞİMŞEK communicates with the ANKA UAV in the air, and the ANKA UAV communicates with the ground. In other words, since ŞİMŞEK communicates via the ANKA UAV, if the communication range of ŞİMŞEK is 70 km, you can extend it to where the ANKA flies. In the same way, you can also transfer the camera image. We have integrated the warhead on the MAM-L into ŞİMŞEK and conducted firing tests without the warhead. We haven't completed the firing tests with warheads yet. Once we conclude the tests, we will have a kamikaze drone. There are also modules called Digital Radio Frequency Memory/DRFM. Thanks to these modules, you can introduce false targets. In other words, ŞİMŞEK can present itself to the radar as an F-16, an F-5, an F-4E or any other aircraft it imitates. This feature is used to deceive and mislead target radars. If you put several of these next to a manned aircraft, the radar will not be able to distinguish which one is manned or unmanned, thus minimizing your risk of getting shot down.
Defence Turkey: You have just stated that you have conducted firing tests with the ŞİMŞEK with MAM-L warhead. I guess the range of the ŞİMŞEK will inevitably need to be increased for the kamikaze role. Is there any plan to increase the existing fuel capacity?
Ömer YILDIZ: With the available fuel, it flies over 300 km.
Defence Turkey: This is fantastic. The communication range is automatically increased when it undertakes a mission with ANKA since it communicates with ANKA over this link. What is the total quantity of ŞİMŞEK drones in the inventory or in service?
Ömer YILDIZ: We do not deliver ŞİMŞEK. We fly it (the related services are sold) and they shoot it down. As of now, the tail number of this drone is 49, we have produced more than a hundred ŞİMŞEK drones, and probably 70 of them have been destroyed (during firing tests/trials) so far. We fly this drone every year in these exercises, especially in the Blue Homeland Exercise, and the Navy shoots it down.
Defence Turkey: Is it going to take part in Exercise EFES 2022?
Ömer YILDIZ: It will not fly in Exercise EFES 2022, however ANKA UAV will fly there, I think AKSUNGUR will undertake a strike mission.
Defence Turkey: Which munitions will AKSUNGUR UAV launch?
Ömer YILDIZ: It will launch MAM-L.
Defence Turkey: So, are there any plans regarding the Supersonic Target Drone in 2022, such as this firing will be made, or this qualification will be completed?
Ömer YILDIZ: We plan to render it a product that flies at Mach 0.9 later this year. As I previously stated, fixing the engine issue is necessary for our supersonic flight. The avionics, planning, experiments, and tests are all complete.
Defence Turkey: The capabilities of ŞİMŞEK that you mentioned will in any case be transferred there, right?
Ömer YILDIZ: We've already transferred the capabilities of ŞİMŞEK there. We're just increasing the speed of the drone.
Defence Turkey: Mr. YILDIZ thank you for your sparing your time for our readers and we wish you success in your efforts
