Turkey to export Anka UAVs to Kazakhstan

Turkish Aerospace (TA) will deliver three Anka medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two ground control stations to Kazakhstan by 2023, the company tweeted from its official social media account on 27 November.

The company did not disclose which Anka model will be exported to the central Asian nation, only that, ”Anka's new address is Kazakhstan.”

Turkey's state-owned Anatolia News Agency (AA) quoted on 27 November TA general manager Temel Kotil as saying, “ We consider Kazakhstan exports a very important success after Tunisia. We are proud that our Ankas will now be used internationally.”

Under an agreement signed with KAZSPECEXPORT procurement agency on behalf of Kazakhstan's Industry Infrastructure Development Ministry, the Anka's logistical support package (technical documentation, training and spare parts) will also be delivered to the Kazakhstan Air Force.

Meanwhile, Turkey has not yet confirmed whether delivery of Anka-S armed UAVs to Tunisia has started, except that Turkish Ambassador to Tunisia, Çağlar Fahri Çakıralp, said in July that export of the first Anka-S UAV was planned for August.

Separately, İsmail Demir, head of Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries said on 17 December 2020 in an interview with the AA news agency that Turkey had signed a USD80 million contract with Tunisia for the sale of three Anka-S UAVs and three ground control stations.