Turkey's Anka Block B UAV completes maiden flight

Turkey completed the maiden flight of its Anka Block B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 30 January.
According to TAI the first flight included a wide degree of autonomy, with take-off, landing, and much of the flight itself being conducted by an autopilot.
The Anka B is the second generation of the indigenous medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV. It is also the production standard version, with 10 Anka Block B UAVs having been ordered in October 2013 for the Turkish military.
The Anka B features a more expansive payload to the pre-series/basic Anka Block A.
Turkey announced in July 2012 that it would develop an armed version of the Anka. While the Anka A was unarmed, it is unclear if the Block B aircraft will be able to carry ordnance - either currently or at a later date.
The first flight of the production-standard Anka B comes just over four years after the initial Anka prototype first flew in December 2010.
The Anka programme has suffered some issues, including the crash of the first aircraft in September 2012 and some problems with the Anka A's payload, but it now appears to be moving forward in line with a planned first delivery to the Turkish Air Force in 2016. All 10 Anka Bs are scheduled to be delivered by 2018.
Turkey has positioned itself as the only European country to have a MALE UAV in production.
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