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

[Test7]

During the first stage of the ANKA Project, the aim was to develop a national UAV System to meet the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces for reconnaissance, surveillance, target, recognition and detection.

The first phase of the project conducted by TUSAŞ (TAI) was completed with the delivery of the required prototypes of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE).

In the on-going phase of the project, within the scope of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Development Program, the objective is to undertake the serial production of the unmanned aerial vehicles when the infrastructure is completed.

In this phase of the ANKA project called the ANKA-S Project, the serial production has commenced, and in 2017, 6 UAVs and related ground systems, and in 2018, 4 UAVs and related ground systems will be delivered.

The ANKA-S System is developed for day and night reconnaissance, surveillance, fixed/mobile target detection, detection, identification, tracking and real-time image intelligence tasks also including those under unfavorable weather conditions. The ANKA-S System has a payload of 200 kg and an altitude of 30,000 feet and is capable of 24 hours of flight time.

ANKA UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE - SSB

www.ssb.gov.tr

 

[Test7]

Bayraktar TB2



The Bayraktar TB2 is a Tactical Armed / UAV System, developed and manufactured by Baykar. A highly sophisticated design that provides all solutions that operator may need in one integrated system. The system consists of Bayraktar TB2 Armed / UAV Platform, Ground Control Station, Ground Data Terminal, Remote Display Terminal, Advanced Base with Generator and Trailer modules. Thanks to Baykar's technological accumulation and capabilities, the entire system is produced indigenously.

OVER 200 THOUSAND HOURS OF OPERATIONAL FLIGHT
Bayraktar TB2 is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE), Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle capable to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and armed attacks missions. An onboard avionic suite with a triple redundant avionic system encompasses units enabling a fully autonomous taxiing, take-off, landing and cruise. TB2 has proven its efficacy with over 200,000 of operational flight hours. Since 2014, it keeps carrying out missions successfully within the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie and the Turkish National Police. Currently, 110 Bayraktar platform are employed serving Turkey. Bayraktar TB2 holds the record of the Turkish aviation history for endurance with (27 Hours 3 Minutes) and for altitude with (27.030 feet). Bayraktar TB2 is also the first-ever aircraft in its category to be exported abroad.

Basic flight performance criteria

• 18.000 Feet Operational Altitude
• 27.000 Feet Service Ceiling
• Up to 27 Hours Endurance
• Fully Automatic Flight Control with Triple Redundant Autopilot System
• Independently of ground systems, fully Autonomous landing and take-off capability
• Independently of GPS, Navigation capability based on Multi-sensor fusion architecture

Advanced Features

• Fully Automatic Navigation and Route Tracking Feature
• Based on Multi-sensor fusion Automatic delicate Take-off and Landing capability
• Fully Automatic Taxiing and Parking
• Semi-Autonomous Flight Mode Support
• Authentic Redundant Lithium-Based Battery Units
• Fault Tolerant and 3 Redundant Sensor Fusion Application
• Cross Redundant GCS System
• Authentic Redundant Servo Actuator Units

The integration of the Indigenous munition “Roketsan MAM-L and MAM-C” and the capacity to fulfill successfully Intelligence, persistent aerial Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, made from the system a primary platform in operations. The Armed UAV Bayraktar TB2 is a multi-purpose platform as it can perform Target Acquisition using the onboard laser pointer it is also capable to eliminate it using its payload consisting of four smart munitions. Bayraktar TB2 is a system that offers all cutting-edge solutions required to carry out surgical-precision strikes preventing the widespread damage to close areas. These features ensure civilian security as a first-order priority.

REAL-TIME IMAGERY TRANSMISSION AND BACK-UP SYSTEM

Baykar Real Time Imagery Transmission System (BGAM) provides real-time image transmission and processing solutions to the defense industry. BGAM allows high-resolution, non-delay live broadcasts to be monitored by multiple users at the same time. BGAM is a web-based application that allows users to watch live broadcasts securely on the network or on tablets using the mobile application via internet.

The system stores automatically all transmitted imagery into files of 30-minutes. While monitoring live imagery, users can take multi-tag notes on the system. Saved tags and labels will facilitate, at a later date, the search through archive videos. In a similar way, based on these notes, a mission log can be created and then exported. Archived files can be filtered by date and by metadata.

For security reasons, the system regenerates automatically temporary passwords to secure access to live transmitted and archived imagery. The user name or device information watermark appears on all live and archived video files.

Optionally, an embedded software can be integrated to the Imagery Transmission System allowing live transmission to mobile devices operating Windows. The data transfer from highly secured network to mobile devices is secured by Adopting end-to-end encryption method (also called data diode model).

BAYKAR Technology

Turkey's first tech company to develop indigenous UAVs

baykardefence.com

 

[Test7]

Bayraktar AKINCI System


ith its unique fuselage and wing design Bayraktar Akinci platform is a strategic class platform which can carry various payloads.

Bayraktar AKINCI is equipped with dual artificial intelligence avionics which supports for signal processing, sensor fusion and situational awareness in real time.

Bayraktar AKINCI is capable of conducting operations that are being done with fighter jets. It carries electronic support systems, dual satellite communication systems, air to air radar, collision avoidance radar and synthetic aperture radar.

Bayraktar AKINCI can be used as an air to ground and air to air attack missions as well.

With its triple redundant electronics hardware and software systems Bayraktar AKINCI is capable of to carry the following payloads:

• Mini Smart Munition MAM-L
• Mini Smart Munition MAM – C
• Cirit Missile
• L-UMTAS Missile
• Mini Smart Munition Bozok
• MK-81, MK-82, MK-83 Guided Bombs (JDAM)\
• Wing Assisted Guided Bomb MK-82
• Air to Air Missile Gokdogan and Bozdogan
• Stand Off Missile SOM-A

Bayraktar AKINCI will be equipped with multifunction AESA Radar system for air to air, syntetic, meteorology estimation.

Basic flight performance criteria

• 30,000 Feet Operational Altitude
  40.000 Feet Maximum Altitude
• 24+ Hours Endurance
• Dual SatCom + Dual LOS Communication System
• Fully Autonomous Flight Control System (Triple Redundant)
• Fully Autonomous Taxi, Take Off, Cruise, Landing without any external sensor air on the ground
• GPS Independent Guidance System

Advanced Features

• Fully Automatic Flight Modes
• Semi Automatic Flight Modes
• Cross Redundant Ground Control Station Architecture
• Unique Flight Control and Avionics Architecture

Ground Control Station

• Trailer type Ground Control Station
• NATO Spec Shelter Systems
• Intercomm Systems and Tactical Radio Systems
• Pilot Console Multi Function
• Payload Operator Console
• Radar Operator Console

• Imagery Analysis Console
• Maintenance Technician Console
• Power Systems
• Air Conditioning
• NBC Filtering System

BAYKAR Technology

Turkey's first tech company to develop indigenous UAVs

baykardefence.com

 

[Test7]

 

[Test7]

Akınci first flight

System Verification Test

Second Akinci on the Sky

30.000 Feet Test

 

[Test7]

TAI-AKSUNGUR

ANKA-AKSUNGUR is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class UAV System, capable to perform day and night Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and strike missions with EO/IR, SAR and SIGINT payloads, and a variety of air to ground weapons. ANKA-AKSUNGUR is powered by two PD-170 twin-turbocharged diesel engines enabling long endurance operations up to 40,000ft.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine Type PD-170 Dual Turbo Diesel
Engine Power 2x170 HP (SL, ISA)
Wing Span 24 m
Max. Takeoff Weight 3300 kg
Ground Attack/Maritime Mission 12 hours at 25kft with 750 kg
SIGINT Mission 24 hours at 35kft with 150 kg P/L

PAYLOAD OPTIONS IMAGE INTELLIGENCE PAYLOADS
• EO/IR/LD/LRF Camera
• SAR/GMTI-ISAR
• Wide Area Surveillance Camera SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE (SIGINT) PAYLOADS
• COMINT/DF • ESM/ELINT MARITIME PATROL PAYLOADS
• SAR/GMTI-ISAR
• Automatic Identification System
• Sonobuoy Pod
• MAD Boom
COMMUNICATION PAYLOADS

• SATCOM
• Personnel Locating System (PLS)
• V/UHF Radio Relay
• Airborne Communications Node Pod

WEAPONS OPTIONS
• 3 hardpoints on each wing with 500 kg, 300 kg and 150 kg capacities
• TEBER-81 (Laser Guided Mk-81)
• TEBER-82 (Laser Guided Mk-82)
• LUMTAS
• MAM-L
• Cirit
• MAM-C
• HGK-3 (Precision Guidance Kit)
• KGK (82) (Wing Assisted Guidance Kit)
• Small Diameter Bomb

SYSTEM FEATURES

- Fully autonomous operation
- Dual reduundant automatic flight control system
- Dual redundant automatic take-off and landing system
- Dual redundant electrical power generation system
- Dual redundant digital datalinks with encryption
- DO-178B compliant software
- DO-254 compliant hardware
- GCS and datalink compatibility with existing ANKA UAV systems
- Ice protection system (optional)
- Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) operation flexibility with SATCOM (optional)

TAI- AKSUNGUR FIRST FLIGHT

AKSUNGUR | Turkish Aerospace

ANKA-AKSUNGUR is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class UAV System

www.tusas.com

 

[Ghost soldier]

 

[Saithan]

KARAYEL TACTICAL UAS
KARAYEL Tactical UAV System is the first and only Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle designed and produced according to NATO’s STANAG-4671 for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes. KARAYEL system has novel triple redundant distrubted avionics architecturewhich ensures protection against all kinds of uncontrolled crash. With this feature, VESTEL Defence has carried systematic fault safetyused only in manned aviation in the world until now to an unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time with KARAYEL. The aerial vehicle has the ability to protect against lightningthanks to the aluminum network grid on its composite structure. ‘De-Icing System’, which automatically detects icing conditions and activates, is used. With this feature, KARAYEL resists adverse weather conditions and shows superior. It has the ability to detect and identify targets with the payloads it carries for reconnaissance and su, and to direct laser controlled ammunitions thanks to the marking system.

AERIAL VEHICLE

• STANAG 4671 referenced design
• Lightning Protection
• Ice Removal
• Triple redundant avionic architecture
• Fully autonomous takeoff/flight/landing
• AVGAS 100 LL
• Composite main structure
• Up to 190 kg, payload load capacity
• Up to 20 hours of flight with 55 kg EO/IR Payload
• Up to 22.500 ft Operation Altitude
• 200 km LOS range
• GCS/GDTHandover

GROUND CONTROL STATION

• NATO 4586 Interoperability
• NATO III shelter compliant to NATO-6516/SCHPE/86 standard
• Air-conditioning with 2 high powered air conditioners
• Filtering against lightning and EMI effect in electricity and data lines
• TASMUS/TAFICS interface
• High capacity uninterrupted power source and backed-up DC regulators

GROUND DATA TERMINAL

• Cabinet compliant to military standards
• Heating and cooling unit
• Uninterrupted power source and backed-up DC regulators
• TASMUS/TAFICS interface
• Operation beyond line of sight with advanced base and GDT transfer

PAYLOAD
KARAYEL can carry payloads like EO/IR, ES, SAR. Karayel has capacity of carrying EO/IR payloads with NIRS 7+ and properties

• EO-Day Camera (HD) – optical zoom features
• Night (IR) Camera (HD) – optical zoom features
• Laser Distance Meter
• Laser Target Directing
• Laser Target Marking

source: Vestel

 

[Saithan]

Another new radar-equipped ANKA drone joins Turkish naval inventory

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered one more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – the ANKA – with a longer range and equipped with an automatic...

www.dailysabah.com

 

[Combat-Master]

19.08.2020 | Second prototype of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) returning back from it's second test flight at 20,000ft.

 

[Combat-Master]

Attached scientific paper analysing Aerodynamic properties of ANKA UAV and Heron UAV airframes.


Results and Suggestions
This paper represents the fuel consumptions depending on shape. Aerodynamics properties of Anka UAV compared with the Heron UAV. The above analysis shows the aerodynamic characteristics for a UAV obtained through 3D drawn and simplified geometry in zones. For a better analysis, it is necessary a finer mesh, which is suitable for RANS. The results of the simulation of flow around the UAV surface for the flying type wing is affected by two main factors, as follows: the first is the quality and density of the mesh parameter and the second one is the model of turbulent flow. A comparison numerical results based on distribution of the velocity vector and distribution of the Reynolds tensor is required. The drag coefficient Anka UAV was found to be 0.061, Heron was 0.066. According to the Heron UAV, the drag force was 8.6 % and the drag coefficient improved by 7.6 %. The lift coefficient of Heron UAV was 65 % lower according to Anka UAV model. According to these results fuel consumption of Anka UAV is better then Heron UAV because of drag coefficient. Delaying the flow seperation is recommended to improve the wing. It can be done by changing the airfoil of the wing with more appropriate airfoil for low speed, or by increasing the surface area of the wing to generate more lift, or by twisting the wing to delay the separation. This represents the optimum flight configuration with optimum fuel consumption.

 

[Saithan]

Domestic missiles Akinci can be loaded with.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1298245538085851137

 

[The Conqueror]

'Turkey, Ukraine should pursue joint projects, tech production'

Turkey and Ukraine should focus on spearheading joint project development and technological research, Turkey's industry and technology minister said...

www.dailysabah.com

Turkey and Ukraine should focus on spearheading joint project development and technological research, Turkey's industry and technology minister said Thursday.

"From now on, we should focus on getting quick results in the work we've initiated toward joint projects, product development and joint technological research,” Minister Mustafa Varank said in a meeting with Oleh Urusky, Ukraine's vice prime minister for strategic industries.

This would transform the countries' "strategic cooperation into a more systematic and institutionalized structure," he said in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Varank said Ukraine and Turkey have close ties in terms of history, culture and also geography, noting this close relationship was further consolidated with the strategic partnership declared in 2011.

Calling the Ukrainian official's visit a milestone in forging new cooperation in critical industrial sectors, Varank said the program focuses on strategic sectors such as defense, aviation and shipbuilding.

He reminded that Turkey is currently supplying domestically produced armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to Ukraine. Turkey also uses an engine purchased from Ukraine in the Akıncı unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). This partnership "will pave the way for great developments and change important defense concepts in the new period," Varank said, noting that Turkey continues to work on the localization of the engine as well.

Varank said both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy closely follow cooperation in those fields.

“We want to conclude these processes by focusing on concrete works in such areas,” he added.

Strategic business partners

Urusky, meanwhile, highlighted his belief in carrying the existing “good level of cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey,” to a higher level with new projects.

He underlined the importance of the cooperation eliminating bureaucratic red tape.

"We are not only neighbors with Turkey but also friendly and strategic business partners," Urusky added.

The visit by Urusky to Turkey marked his first official visit abroad.

Ismail Demir, chairman of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), also said Wednesday that they held a meeting with Urusky and his accompanying delegation where a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the parties.

Last week, Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov was looking to increase cooperation with Turkish partners, including the joint production of aircraft coming to the fore following the newly appointed Antonov Chairman Oleksandr Los’ visit to Turkey.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey Andrii Sybiha confirmed the visit, reiterating that the cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey should share a perspective "from underground to over the sky."

He added that the Antonov-178 aircraft, with its unique characteristics, “is a promising project for many international partners.”

In 2019, Ukraine bought six Turkish-produced reconnaissance and strike drones for its army for an undisclosed amount. As part of the deal, the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles and three ground control stations, produced by Turkish firm Baykar, were delivered to the Ukrainian army.

Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar on Tuesday was awarded a state medal by Ukraine’s president at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv for his services to Ukraine and Ukraine-Turkey relations.

Ukraine is seeking to purchase another batch of armed drones from Turkey, a topic that was discussed during Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar’s official visit to Kyiv, according to media reports in July.

In a statement on Twitter last week regarding possible defense cooperation with Turkish companies, Ambassador Sybiha said they discussed ways to strengthen cooperation with Ukrainian partners and possible joint projects with HAVELSAN, one of Turkey's largest defense contractors.

 

[Blackeyes90]

Turkey’s New Akinci Drone Is Impressive, But It’s No Substitute For Modern Fighter Jets

The Bayraktar Akinci drone is the most sophisticated built by Turkey to date. However, Ankara cannot count on the Akinci to serve as a substitute for its air force either acquiring or developing a fifth-generation fighter jet sometime in the next decade.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 17: Bayraktar Akinci Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA), developed ... [+]

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The second Akinci (Turkish for ‘raider’) prototype completed a 62-minute flight test in August, according to its manufacturer.

The Akinci has a 65-feet wingspan, and is designed to have an impressive 24 hours of endurance, a range of over 300 miles, and to fly as high as 40,000 feet.

Ukrainian-built AI-450 turboprop engines will power the heavy drones. According to the Turkish press, the drone “has two 450-horsepower engines but can be equipped with 750-horsepower engines or locally made 240-horsepower engines.”

The Akinci will carry a variety of weaponry, including the same Smart Micro Munitions (MAM-L) its predecessor the Bayraktar TB2 does in addition to general purpose bombs. It can also reportedly fire Turkish-built Bozdoğan (Merlin) and Gökdoğan (Peregrine) within visual range and beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. The Akinci can even launch Turkish-built Roketsan SOM long-range air-launched cruise missiles that can hit targets up to 150 miles away.
All of this makes it a very impressive weapons platform. Perhaps even more impressive are the drone’s indigenous radars.

“Ankara sees the Akinci as its main aerial vehicle for intelligence-surveillance-target acquisition (ISTAR) and command-control-communication (C3) tasks in the next decade,” wrote Turkish military expert Metin Gurcan.

“The drone will be equipped with indigenously developed systems, including a multi-role active electronically scanned array radar, a SAR/GMTI radar, a wide-area surveillance system, electronic warfare, an electronic and signal intelligence suite, and beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications systems, the sum of which makes the Akinci the best-ever ISTAR+C3 asset the Turkish military has had,” he added.

This combination of advanced radars and the multitude of weapons the Akinci can carry certainly make it a highly formidable piece of military hardware.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 17: Bayraktar Akinci Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA), developed ... [+]
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“This weapons system could be quite effective in detecting and destroying individual land targets, such as enemy howitzers or mortars, or special equipment like electronic warfare (EW) stations,” noted a Jamestown Foundation analysis.

Turkey has made impressive progress in drone production in recent years. Turkish drones have also seen combat and proven themselves formidable opponents. Its Bayraktar TB2s and TAI Anka-S drones devastated Syrian regime ground forces during clashes in Idlib province in February-March 2020. Turkish drones also gave decisive air support to Turkey’s ally in the Libyan Civil War and successfully guided airstrikes that assassinated senior PKK leaders over the last two years.

Given this record, it’s not at all surprising that Turkey is investing in bigger and more advanced drones like the Akinci since it will be well suited for the kind of conflicts Turkey is fighting and will most likely continue to fight for the foreseeable future.

While certainly impressive, the Akinci is, nevertheless, no substitute for Turkey acquiring a fifth-generation fighter jet.

As Gurcan noted, by building the Akinci, Ankara is “hoping to extend its military reach in the region and compensate, even if fractionally, for the loss of the F-35 new-generation jets.”

Turkey got suspended by the United States from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019 for purchasing and taking delivery of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Also, Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet project, the TAI TF-X, is unlikely to become operational until the 2030s for a variety of reasons.

On top of these serious shortcomings, Turkey might even find it difficult to buy 4.5 generation aircraft in the meantime to serve as stopgap fighters that can gradually replace its aging fleet of fourth-generation F-16s and even older F-4s until Ankara can finally acquire a fifth-generation jet.

So while the Akinci is an undoubtedly impressive achievement it’s not the aircraft Turkey needs to substantially modernize its air force for the decades to come.

 

[Combat-Master]

Turkey’s New Akinci Drone Is Impressive, But It’s No Substitute For Modern Fighter Jets

The Bayraktar Akinci drone is the most sophisticated built by Turkey to date. However, Ankara cannot count on the Akinci to serve as a substitute for its air force either acquiring or developing a fifth-generation fighter jet sometime in the next decade.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 17: Bayraktar Akinci Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA), developed ... [+]

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The second Akinci (Turkish for ‘raider’) prototype completed a 62-minute flight test in August, according to its manufacturer.

The Akinci has a 65-feet wingspan, and is designed to have an impressive 24 hours of endurance, a range of over 300 miles, and to fly as high as 40,000 feet.

Ukrainian-built AI-450 turboprop engines will power the heavy drones. According to the Turkish press, the drone “has two 450-horsepower engines but can be equipped with 750-horsepower engines or locally made 240-horsepower engines.”

The Akinci will carry a variety of weaponry, including the same Smart Micro Munitions (MAM-L) its predecessor the Bayraktar TB2 does in addition to general purpose bombs. It can also reportedly fire Turkish-built Bozdoğan (Merlin) and Gökdoğan (Peregrine) within visual range and beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. The Akinci can even launch Turkish-built Roketsan SOM long-range air-launched cruise missiles that can hit targets up to 150 miles away.
All of this makes it a very impressive weapons platform. Perhaps even more impressive are the drone’s indigenous radars.

“Ankara sees the Akinci as its main aerial vehicle for intelligence-surveillance-target acquisition (ISTAR) and command-control-communication (C3) tasks in the next decade,” wrote Turkish military expert Metin Gurcan.

“The drone will be equipped with indigenously developed systems, including a multi-role active electronically scanned array radar, a SAR/GMTI radar, a wide-area surveillance system, electronic warfare, an electronic and signal intelligence suite, and beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications systems, the sum of which makes the Akinci the best-ever ISTAR+C3 asset the Turkish military has had,” he added.

This combination of advanced radars and the multitude of weapons the Akinci can carry certainly make it a highly formidable piece of military hardware.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 17: Bayraktar Akinci Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA), developed ... [+]
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“This weapons system could be quite effective in detecting and destroying individual land targets, such as enemy howitzers or mortars, or special equipment like electronic warfare (EW) stations,” noted a Jamestown Foundation analysis.

Turkey has made impressive progress in drone production in recent years. Turkish drones have also seen combat and proven themselves formidable opponents. Its Bayraktar TB2s and TAI Anka-S drones devastated Syrian regime ground forces during clashes in Idlib province in February-March 2020. Turkish drones also gave decisive air support to Turkey’s ally in the Libyan Civil War and successfully guided airstrikes that assassinated senior PKK leaders over the last two years.

Given this record, it’s not at all surprising that Turkey is investing in bigger and more advanced drones like the Akinci since it will be well suited for the kind of conflicts Turkey is fighting and will most likely continue to fight for the foreseeable future.

While certainly impressive, the Akinci is, nevertheless, no substitute for Turkey acquiring a fifth-generation fighter jet.

As Gurcan noted, by building the Akinci, Ankara is “hoping to extend its military reach in the region and compensate, even if fractionally, for the loss of the F-35 new-generation jets.”

Turkey got suspended by the United States from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019 for purchasing and taking delivery of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Also, Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet project, the TAI TF-X, is unlikely to become operational until the 2030s for a variety of reasons.

On top of these serious shortcomings, Turkey might even find it difficult to buy 4.5 generation aircraft in the meantime to serve as stopgap fighters that can gradually replace its aging fleet of fourth-generation F-16s and even older F-4s until Ankara can finally acquire a fifth-generation jet.

So while the Akinci is an undoubtedly impressive achievement it’s not the aircraft Turkey needs to substantially modernize its air force for the decades to come.

I'm not surprised Forbes published such a whimsical article with no meat and a tossed up title - from our favourite friend from Erbil.
Akinci is indeed not a substitute for manned fighter jets, but as Turkish MOD says, it's a force multiplier to manned fighter jets.

 

[Combat-Master]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1299363242419126273

 

[Test7]

Akinci's 3rd prorotype is getting ready to fly also

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1299789072139943936

 

[Glass🚬]

is the landing gear of akinci retractable or is it static like tb-2?

 

[Test7]

is the landing gear of akinci retractable or is it static like tb-2?

Retractable. Akıncı's landing gear doesnt get raised on the test flight like every planes.

 

[Combat-Master]

These guys get my respect so much, from the time they were interacting with us on Turkish forums while prototyping TB1 to even now - they are so are so heavily invested working night and day to perfect their craft.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1299961039983910912