Turkey begins UAV production

Turkey will begin producing indigenous Anka unmanned aerial vehicles next year.

Turkish Defense Industry Ministry spokesman Murad Bayar announced the incipient production, stating that the Turkish army will begin receiving the Anka UAVs in late 2013.

The Anka UAVs are produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc., a Turkish state-owned aviation and aerospace industry company.

Besides the Anka UAVs, TAI also produces F-16 Fighting Falcon jets under license, CN-235 light transport/maritime patrol/surveillance aircraft, SF-260 trainers, Cougar AS-532 search and rescue, combat search and rescue and utility helicopters, Anadolu Ajansi news agency reported.

Since 2004 Turkey has been developing a reconnaissance UAV, with about 180 TAI engineers involved in the project.

Another Turkish UAV project is the Simsek -- "Lightning."

Earlier this month, the Turkish military decided to return three tactical Aerostar UAVs, built by the Israeli company Aeronautics Defense Systems, to Israel alleging substandard performance in the military's campaign against Kurdistan Workers Party insurgents.