Tai Aksungur

Using existing technology from the TAI Anka series of drones, it is the manufacturer's largest drone with payload capacity for mission-specific equipment. It is intended to be used for long-term surveillance, signals intelligence, maritime patrol missions, or as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle. TAI planned to integrate weapon packages and put the Aksungur into production in early 2020. The first unit was delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces on 20 October 2021.

Aksungur
TAI Aksungur at the 2019 International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, Turkey.
Role	Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
National origin	Turkey
Manufacturer	Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)
First flight	20 March 2019
Introduction	20 October 2021
Status	In service
Primary user	Turkish Armed Forces
Produced	2019-present
Number built	8 (as of March 2023)

Aksungur, Turkish for gyrfalcon, is classified as a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It is designed and manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Aksungur has twin turbocharged engines with a twin boom configuration.

Developing the UAV took 18 months. The airframe, wing and landing gear are new designs, while control systems are from the existing TAI Anka family of drones. A new turbodiesel engine is also in development for the programme, with initial flight tests of the airframe using an existing engine. Two prototypes were manufactured for testing purposes. Its maiden flight, displaying automatic takeoff and landing capabilities, took place on 20 March 2019, and lasted four hours and twenty minutes. Reportedly, a second test flight of three hours was performed on 3 April the same year. It was introduced at the 2019 International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul, Turkey, on 30 April. CNN Türk reported ongoing flight tests in July 2019, with the manufacturer anticipating a total of 50 to 60 tests by the end of the year. The UAV is planned to go into series production by the first quarter of 2020.

The aircraft is 12 m (39 ft) long and 3 m (9.8 ft) high when resting on its landing gear. The high-mounted wings have a slight dihedral angle and a wingspan of 24 m (79 ft). The wings end with small winglets. The centralized fuselage is under the wings and houses avionics, camera and sensors systems, with a chin-mounted camera blister. Fuel is stored in the fuselage and wings. A turbocharged engine is mounted under each wing, with the engine nacelles each extending backward into a tail boom. These tail booms terminate in vertical stabilizers, with a horizontal tailplane joining them. The tricycle landing gear retracts into the engine nacelles and the nose of the aircraft while in flight.

The aircraft is powered by two forward-mounted PD-170 dual-turbocharged diesel engines developed by Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI), equipped with three-bladed propellers in a tractor (puller) configuration. According to the manufacturer, these enable the Aksungur to cruise at a maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) and carry a maximum payload of 750 kg (1,650 lb) to an altitude of 25,000 ft (7,600 m), or ascend to 35,000 ft (11,000 m) with a 150 kg (330 lb) payload. The aircraft's designed maximum payload is 375% greater than that of its predecessor; its maximum takeoff weight is 3,300 kg (7,300 lb). It is rated to stay aloft 12 hours as an attack aircraft or maritime patrol aircraft and 24 hours during signals intelligence missions.

Remote control of the UAV is performed by DO-178B compatible software on DO-254 compatible ground control station and hardware using double backed-up encrypted digital data link. Optional beyond-visual-range operation flexibility is available via communications satellite.

TAI expects to integrate weapon systems typical of F-4 and F-16 fighter aircraft onto Aksungur in the last quarter of 2019. Three hardpoints are situated under each wing for attaching external payloads, such as munitions or sonar buoys. These hardpoints are rated for loads of 150, 300 and 500 kg (330, 660 and 1,100 lb). Proposed armaments include TEBER-81 (laser-guided bomb Mk-81), TEBER-82 (laser-guided bomb Mk-82), LUMTAS, MAM-L, Roketsan Cirit, MAM-C, HGK-3 (precision-guided munition), KGK (82) (winged guided kit), and miniature bomb.

In October 2022, Turkey deployed Aksungur drones in the Aegean Sea to place Sonobuoy in order to find Greek submarines.

In November 2023, a Turkish Navy Aksungur, serial TCB883, crashed in North Iraq.

  Turkey

• Turkish Naval Forces – 3 operational.
• Turkish Air Force - 5 operational.

  Kyrgyzstan

• Kyrgyz Border Guard- 2 Delivered.

  Chad

• Chadian Air Force- 2 Delivered.

Chadian Air Force released footage of its Aksungur fleet in April 2024.

Future operators

  Algeria

• Algerian Air Force – 6 drones were ordered in October 2022.

  Angola

• National Air Force of Angola- Unknown number on order.

Data from Tusaş, Jane's Information Group and Military Factory

General characteristics

• Capacity: 750 kg (1,650 lb) payload
• Length: 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 24.2 m (79 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
• Empty weight: 1,800 kg (3,968 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,300 kg (7,275 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × TEI PD170 4-cylinder liquid-cooled turbo-charged horizontally-opposed piston engine, 130–160 kW (170–220 hp) each
• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed pusher propeller

Performance

• Cruise speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
• Range: 6,500 km (4,000 mi, 3,500 nmi)
• Endurance: 60 hours
• Service ceiling: 12,192 m (40,000 ft)

Armament

• Hardpoints: 6 (Aksungur has 3 hardpoints on each wing with 500 kg, 300 kg and 150 kg capacities) , with provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Missiles:
    
    • CIRIT
  • ASW:
    • Possibly ROKETSAN DSH(Anti Submarine Warfare Rocket) and torpedoes for maritime patrol duties.
  • Bombs:
    • Upto 12 MAM: MAM-L and MAM-C precision-guided munitions
    • LUMTAS
    • TEBER-81 (laser guided MK-81)
    • TEBER-82 (laser guided MK-82)
    • HGK-3 (Precision Guidance Kit)
    • KGK (82) (Winged Guidance Kit)

Other UCAVs of Turkey

• Bayraktar Mini UAV
• Bayraktar TB2
• Bayraktar Akıncı
• Baykar Bayraktar TB3
• Bayraktar Kızılelma
• TAI Anka
• TAI Anka-3
• Vestel Karayel