TAI awarded drone contract in Malaysia

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has won a tender to supply the Malaysian Air Forces with unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Turkish company outbid firms from China, the U.S. and Italy.

TAI will produce three ANKA model drones for the Malaysian army and install ground control systems.

The signing ceremony for the contract was held on May 25 during the 16th edition of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia.

ANKA and TAI'S other drone systems are well recognized globally, said Ömer Cihad Vardan, TAI's deputy chairman. "We are moving closer to the export targets we set for 2023."

ANKA drone made its maiden flight in 2010. It is capable of flying at 30,000 feet for more than 30 hours and has a payload capacity of over 350 kilograms. Its wingspan and length are 17.5 meters and 8.6 meters, respectively.

The drone has an autonomous flight control system and an automatic takeoff-landing system.

Turkish companies have become important players in the global defense industry, with exports rising gradually over the years.

Export revenues of the Turkish defense and aeronautics industry climbed to $4.4 billion last year from $3.2 billion in 2021.

The industry's exports stood at only $248 million in 2002, surpassing the $ 1 billion mark in 2012 for the first time.

The total turnover of the local industry amounted to $12.1 billion in 2022, up from the previous year's $102 billion.

The number of projects carried out by the local company leaped from 62 in 2002 to more than 810.