• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: Hensoldt expands Asia footprint

  20th February 2018

  When Airbus Group took the decision to concentrate on its core aviation-related business lines, a number of divisions were cut free to fend for themselves.  …

• Defence Notes

  India publishes ambitious defence roadmap

  28th February 2018

  India released its ‘Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap - 2018’ (TPCR-2018) document in late February, outlining the equipment and technology that the country’s armed forces …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Opportunity knocks for GA's drones

  20th February 2018

  With the potential easing of export restrictions of technology sensitive to the US missile technology control regime and a growing demand for long-endurance UAVs, General …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ​Singapore Airshow 2018: China promotes weaponised VTOL UAV

  9th February 2018

  The China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) provided new details about its latest U8EW VTOL UAV at this week’s Singapore Airshow. The U8E …

• Defence Notes

  Turkish air strikes pound Kurdish fighters in Syria

  31st January 2018

  Turkish air strikes pounded the Syrian border region of Afrin on 30 January and fighting raged on two fronts as Ankara pursued its offensive against …

• Defence Notes

  US concerns over EU defence pact cloud NATO meet

  14th February 2018

  US concerns over the EU's landmark defence cooperation pact and increasingly strained relations between Washington and Turkey look set to loom large as NATO defence …

• Defence Notes

  US says NATO closing gaps in alliance unity

  15th February 2018

  NATO has reached an understanding on defence ties with the European Union (EU) while top allies Washington and Ankara are finding ‘common ground’ in a …

• Training

  HÜRKUŞ-B takes flight

  31st January 2018

  Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI’s) HÜRKUŞ-B aircraft has performed its first flight test in Ankara, Turkey. The basic trainer aircraft is being developed for the Turkish …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Pengiun C completes hot weather upgrades

  6th February 2018

  UAV Factory’s Penguin C aircraft has been displayed for the first time in Asia-Pacific following the completion of hot-weather modifications to its engine and catapult …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Chinese Star Shadow on the prowl

  8th February 2018

  A new Chinese-built high-altitude UCAV was unveiled at this year’s Singapore Airshow. The Chengdu-based Star UAV System Company displayed a scale model of its new …

• Defence Helicopter

  For US Army aviation Chinook comes out winner, other fleets ramp down

  23rd February 2018

  US Army leaders have billed their FY19 budget request as a jumping-off point for the FY20 budget, one they say will contain major changes to …

• Defence Notes

  More civilians killed as Turkey pursues Syria campaign

  29th January 2018

  Clashes and air strikes again hit Syria's border region of Afrin on 29 January, with new civilian casualties reported as Turkey pursued an offensive against …

• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: CorvusEye scans the region

  12th February 2018

  Harris Corporation was promoting its CorvusEye wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor to the Asia-Pacific region at Singapore Airshow 2018. Although the system comes with ITAR …

• Special Operations

  Turkey strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq

  23rd January 2018

  Turkey has launched air strikes in northern Iraq on Kurdish militants planning an attack, the Turkish Army announced on 23 January. The strikes took place …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kratos expands UAV production facilities

  30th January 2018

  Kratos Defense and Security Solutions’ Unmanned Systems Division is opening new engineering and production facilities in Oklahoma City, US, to meet increased demand for jet …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 Replacement [Chile]

  Background Hermes 900 purchase According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), three Hermes 900 were ordered in 2011 and delivered in 2013.  Continued ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aksungur [Turkish Air Force]

  Programme Background First Flight & Contract Award The platform's maiden flight was completed on 20 March 2019, and it was first publicly shown at IDEF ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB3 [Turkish Army]

  Background Land Forces Command Delivery In late October 2024, Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar's CEO, stated that the Bayraktar TB3 had entered mass production and could be exported ...

• Military UAS - small

  Cargo UAV (Turkey)

  Programme Background Inception & Requirment Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) initiated a programme to procure VTOL-capable cargo drones in June 2018. These were planned for ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 (Turkey)

  Programme Background  Selection The Turkish Armed Forces are purchasing large numbers of UAVs from Turkey's domestic defence industry to perform ISTAR missions and provide troops ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aksungur [Turkish Navy]

  Programme Background First Flight & Contract Award The platform's maiden flight was completed on 20 March 2019, and it was first publicly shown at IDEF ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-S (1-3) [Malaysia]

  Background Inception Malaysia's desire to acquire a MALE UAV dates back to 2009, when it announced it would be the first country in the region ...

• Military UAS - small

  Baha [Turkiye]

  Background Induction The Turkish Land Forces Command inducted an unknown quantity of Baha aircraft into service, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence announced on 25 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Songar (Turkey)

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish MoND was considering adopting several micro and mini UAVs to equip the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). One of the systems ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Indonesia]

  Background Naval ambition The Indonesian Navy Admiral Muhammad Ali announced an initiative to purchase Turkish UCAVs as part of a broader strategy to enhance and develop ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Turkey]

  Programme Unveiling and testing Unveiled at TEKOFEST Istanbul Aviation, Space and Technology Festival in September 2019, the Akinci completed its first flight in December 2019. In June 2021, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB3 [Turkish Navy]

  Background Anadolu Class LHD The Anadolu-class LHD consists of one Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD) being built for the Turkish Navy, TCG Anadolu. The vessel was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-3 [Turkey]

  Background Order Announcement Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu, in a statement at SAHA Istanbul's SAHA Chat program in January 2026, stated that, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-S [Kazakhstan]

  Background Promoting Products In 2018, Shephard reported that TAI had made another effort to promote its products to Kazakhstan. Three years before a contract was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [UK]

  Background Rumours In mid-October 2022, Mustafa Varank, Turkey’s minister of industry, revealed to CNN Turk that the UK was interested in Turkish armed drones. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  PD170

  The PD170 is a turbodiesel engine initially developed to meet the engine requirement of Turkish Aerospace Industries' indigenous Anka UAV. Development began in December 2012 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Kargi

  The Kargi is an in-development loitering munition that Lentatek has developed in collaboration with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), Aselsan and Turkish Aerospace ...

• UAS: flight control systems, UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  UAV Flight Control Computer

  The UAV Flight Control Computer is being developed by the Turkish Defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi for remotely controlling uncrewed operations. It comprises a Central ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aksungur

  The Aksungur is a twin-engined MALE UAS manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the Turkish Armed Forces. TAI completed the platform's maiden flight on 20 March ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bulut

  Launched in early 2025, the Bulut is a VTOL-capable small UAV from Havelsan. A development of the Baha, the drone is equipped with an electro-optical (EO), infrared, ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Sungur

  The Sungur missile is a Turkish-developed, short-range air defence system designed to protect mobile and stationary units against aerial threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ...

• Artillery rockets

  TRG/TRLG-122

  The TRG-122 is a Turkish 122mm family of guided artillery rockets developed by ROKETSAN for the T-122 Sakarya and other MLRS platforms. The family includes ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Efe

  Efe is a lightweight, fixed-wing UAV designed for target acquisition. The platform was launched in 2006. 

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka (Family)

  The ANKA is a family of medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ, formerly TAI). The four variants are ANKA-A, ANKA-B, ANKA-S and ...

• Trainer

  Hurkus

  Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defence Industries signed an agreement with Turkish Aerospace Industries in March 2006 for the Hurkus Turkish Basic Training Aircraft development programme. Three ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AI-450

  The AI-450 is a Ukrainian engine developed by Ivachenko-Progress, with Motor Sich acting as the production partner to supply parts and components. The turboprop engine ...

• Air: UAS radar

  OKIS Automatic Take-off and Landing System

  The OKIS Automatic Take-off and Landing System by Turkish Meteksan Defence Inc. is a radar-based system designed for the automatic take-off and landing processes of ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  İhtar

  The İhtar is an anti-drone system manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to counter mini and micro-UAS threats in urban and rural environments. It detects and tracks ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  PD-222ST

  The PD-222ST is a turbodiesel engine manufactured by Turkish Engine Industries (TEI). The engine is an upgraded, single turbo version of the PD-170; the PD-222ST is ...

• Loitering munitions

  Alpagu

  The Alpagu is a fixed-wing loitering munition developed by STM. The loitering munition comes in several variants, has been designed for lightness and portability, and is ...