Turkey close to producing new armed drone, Erdogan says

Turkey will in a few months start the production of a new unmanned military aircraft (UAV) capable of dropping smart bombs from as high as 40,000 feet, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

During a speech at the southern province of Antalya Sunday, Erdogan said the country was already producing surveillance and armed drones, before adding: "Now, we are producing a larger armed unmanned aircraft, and it will be completed in a few months."

He said the new drone will be built by Turkish air system manufacturer Baykar Maki.

According to reports, the drone will weigh around five tons, have a useful load capacity of 1.4 tons and a 24-hour non-stop flight capability.

The new drone, Erdogan said, "will set an example to the world."