According to Turkish media, Tunisia has signed a contract with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to purchase ANKA-S UAV. The contract valued at $80 million includes 3 ANKA-S UAVs, 3 ground control stations, and the training of 52 Tunisian Air Force personnel.
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According to "Haberler" news source, on December 13, Ankara is about to deliver three ANKA UAVs to Tunisia, in the first export operation of the Turkish drone abroad.
The newspaper mentioned that the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) concluded an agreement to export Turkish-made drones to Tunisia, explaining that an agreement was concluded between Tunisia and Turkey after two years of talks regarding the Turkish drone “ANKA”.
The Turkish news source indicated that the Tunisian Ministry of Defence began negotiations with the Turkish company in early 2019, and in the first months of this year, negotiations were held on all the details related to the financing and the training process, according to what was reported by "Arabi 21" website.
According to the newspaper, the agreement on all matters between the Turkish company and Tunisia will be concluded by the end of this week. Under the agreement, TAI will deliver three ANKA drones to Tunisia, and three ground control systems to the Tunisian Air Force Command. The next agreement will include more equipment.
The source explained that the Türk Eximbank will finance the export of the first platform from the ANKA, which took place under the director-general of TAI Tamil Kotel, and the export program has started with the completion of the mutual obligations within the framework of the contract and the fulfillment of the terms of the loan granted to Tunisia.
After completing the export agreement, which amounts to about $80 million, 52 Tunisian pilots and maintenance personnel will be given the necessary training at the Tusas facilities in Ankara.
It is noteworthy that the ANKA, which is the first drone to be produced in Turkey, had its first flight on December 30, 2010, to become the first exploration drone of the pride of the Turkish industry.
On October 30, 2013, Turkey's Defence Industry Executive Committee (SSIK) signed an agreement with TAI to start production of ten ANKA drones, to enter service and make the first flight in April 2017.
It is reported that the Turkish forces are using 30 ANKA exploration aircraft, and they have had their imprint in its security operations recently.
And as of last year, TAI began working to provide the ANKA with a home-made radar system, to be able to collect information remotely and from above the clouds, determine the quality of targets on the water surface, and monitor sites.
The British Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, acknowledged Turkey's innovation in the field of defence and expressed admiration for Turkish drones and their effectiveness on the ground.
"Take, for example, the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone; its use in Syria, Libya and other places was responsible for the destruction of hundreds of armored vehicles and even air defense systems," he said
Source: SD Arabia
