Media: Uzbekistan boosts its procurement of military drones from Turkey.

Tashkent has signed an additional agreement with the Turkish aerospace corporation TUSAS for the supply of multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicles ANKA SIHA. This information is being disseminated by media .

According to available data, the Republic of Turkey continues to show steady growth in the global arms market, especially in the unmanned aerial systems segment. Drones from the ANKA family are successfully utilized not only by the Turkish armed forces but are also in service with the armies of Algeria, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Chad.

Among TUSAS's product lineup, the twin-engine UAV AKSUNGUR holds a special place, capable of staying airborne for over 50 hours and carrying a payload of up to 750 kilograms. The smaller model ANKA SIHA features an autonomous flight time of up to 30 hours and a payload capacity of 350 kilograms. Both types of aircraft are equipped with modern turbo-diesel engines.

According to available commercial data, the cost of one ANKA system exceeds 25 million US dollars. For comparison, in 2020, the Tunisian defense ministry purchased three units of this equipment for 80 million dollars. Last year, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the supply of twelve ANKA drones for a total of 300 million dollars. The mentioned amounts include comprehensive training for operators, various types of munitions, as well as mobile control points.

It is worth noting that the interest of Uzbekistan's leadership in modern unmanned technologies was confirmed in November 2023 when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally acquainted himself with the capabilities of the Bayraktar UAV during a visit to the Surkhandarya region.