TR UAV/UCAV Programs | Anka - series | Kızılelma | TB - series

[Zafer]

Can the Kizilelma fire hypersonic missiles?

Gökhan is ramjet and it will possibly be fired from Kızılelma. I am not sure what speed is needed to start a ramjet engine but Kızılelma will go supersonic when it gets a better engine.

 

[Zafer]

Kaan will hopefully cover alot of bases and TUSAŞ can turn to cargo and passenger planes for a period of time while a 6th gen plane will go on a backburner until time is ripe to make one. Anka4 is probably meant to be an unmanned version of a 6th gen plane so backburner for a decade or so.

 

[Quasar]

We are all discussing on conjectures over an idea that was thrown in few years ago by Temel Kotil. He said something along the lines of “there would be Anka 4 to come yet. There will be a supersonic version.” looking at Anka-3.

Since then everyone has been guessing what this Anka-4 can be. There is no statement from Tusas regarding an Anka-4.

For one thing , if it is going to be a flying wing like Anka-3, It is not feasible for it to be supersonic. If it is going to be supersonic, then it will be in a more conventional design. Not a flying wing. We don’t even know if there is work being carried out on an “Anka-4”.
But if it is going to be built by Tusas, you can be sure that it will be built to a very high standard and will be a game changer class platform.

I agree with @Pilatino to have an expendable UCAV with long enough range to play both loyal wingman role and at the same time be able to penetrate deep in to enemy airspace and play the role of a kamikaze UAV. But süper Simsek is almost there. It can be carried along, under the wing of Anka-3, and when close enough, released to allow Anka-3 to return to full stealth mode whilst being stealthy itself, it can travel together to have suddenly two stealth UCAVs instead of just one attacking enemy positions.

Şüper Şimşek as Loyal Wingman > Kızılelma > Anka 4 would work for me.

TUSAŞ is very busy but I hope they can show us a capable Süper Şimşek and Anka 4 on spotlight at least in IDEF27'. That would end all my worries.

just for the sake of a better understanding and conceptualizing your ''Loyal Wingman'' What roles does a Loyal Wingman should perform and what capabilities does it have to have to be considered as a Loyal Wingman according to You? also would be intersting to hear the opinions of others as well

 

[Pilatino]

just for the sake of a better understanding and conceptualizing your ''Loyal Wingman'' What roles does a Loyal Wingman should perform and what capabilities does it have to have to be considered as a Loyal Wingman according to You?

Great question. For me, a Loyal Wingman isn’t defined by a single platform but by the roles and capabilities it must reliably deliver. In my view, a system qualifies as a Loyal Wingman if it can perform the following:

1. Risk-tolerant mission execution
It must be expendable enough to take the high-risk tasks that manned fighters or high-value UCAVs (like Kızılelma) shouldn’t.

2. Modular payload flexibility
The platform should be able to switch between sensors, EW payloads, decoy packs, or A2A/A2G weapons depending on the mission—Gambit-style modularity.

3. Autonomous teaming with manned or unmanned aircraft
It has to operate semi-autonomously alongside a parent aircraft, receive directives, and adapt to changing battlefield conditions.

4. Tactical roles such as:

Forward sensing / ISR

Electronic attack or jamming

Decoy / signature inflation

SEAD/DEAD support

Limited A2A interception

Saturation or distraction attacks


5. Lower cost and acceptable attrition
A Loyal Wingman must be strategically “expendable”—not a platform whose loss is operationally painful.

So whether it’s Süper Şimşek, Kızılelma, or a future Anka-4 derivative, the name matters less than these core characteristics. If a system fulfills them, I’d call it a Loyal Wingman.

 

[Zafer]

Kızılelma can have several versions from cheap to top notch. While its canards design is not top stealthy as well as its tail fins a stealthier plane may not be actually worth the effort if the latest radars will probably get to see even the stealthier planes better and better.