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

[Yasar_TR]

Imo main job of a MALE drone is recon then it is to provide air support in places you have the air superiority be it by exploiting the gaps in enemy AD or operating in areas you have total air superiority. The success TB-2 had against Russian systems was an anomaly and should not be regarded as its main function albeit it can be replicated if certain conditions are met(EW support, good intel etc). This does not mean it is a bad or outdated concept but trying to shoehorn it into the role it was used in Libya, Syria and Azerbaijan in a peer to peer modern combat would be ineffective. Helicopter is a good comparison in that regard T-129's are extremely useful in counter-terrorism operations however no one would expect it to operate in contested air space and take out enemy AD. It is better to leave TB-2 as is or make it more useful in stand-off roles by integrating more sensors and long range missiles and give the task of operating in contested air space and gaining air superiority(which should be top priority anyway) to actual fighter jets.

I like the way you approach this. You are correct in thinking that this drone should operate in airspaces where total air superiority is gained.

But TB2 stands for Tactical Block 2. It is not a standard MALE drone. It is built to fight.
Tactical in armed forces means taking immediate combat actions in the battlefield front.
So this plane’s Primary job is battlefield combat action. Not reconnaissance. So it should be made to perform what it was built for. If it has deficiencies in that field, then those shortcomings need to be addressed.
We have enough drones for reconnaissance, and similar platforms for stand off missile launching with more payload capacities, like Anka-S, Akinci and Aksungur.

 

[Yasar_TR]

but given that Super Simsek has, what, 50 kg highest payload capacity, twice the size would still be too small imo to be worth the trouble.

I said twice the size but three times the weight. 3 x ~200kg = ~ 600kg.
Super Simsek is 1.75 wide, 4m long and 0.75m high.
Double it :
3.5m wide 8m long and 1.5m high

TB2 is 12m wide, 6.5m long and 2.2m high
TB2 weighs 450kg when empty. 650-700kg when fully loaded.

Apart from that large wing the size and weight approximations are within workable figures.

SÜPER ŞİMŞEK - TUSAS

SÜPER ŞİMŞEK

www.tusas.com

 

[Zafer]

According to above article it is the indigenous TM100 engine it flew with.

This piece of news is from April and is about the first or the second flight while the latest flight is the third flight and the only indication to the engine is that it is a turbo engine.

 

[MonteCarlo]

Akınci with Aselflir-600 live streaming Mehmetçik Memorial from 70km away. Suprised they trusted Aselflir-600 enough to use it on a live stream since its first air test was such a short time ago

 

[Strong AI]

Akınci with Aselflir-600 live streaming Mehmetçik Memorial from 70km away. Suprised they trusted Aselflir-600 enough to use it on a live stream since its first air test was such a short thime ago View attachment 77173

ASELPOD 2 will be great.

 

[MonteCarlo]

ASELPOD 2 will be great.

I was thinking the same thing but for Toygun lol. Anka3, Kızılelma and Kaan will be menaces in air-to-ground engagements

 

[MonteCarlo]

TB3 will start operating on TCG Anadolu in September. I wonder how is the progress with the land based TB-3?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1961754078670696478

 

[Zafer]

Would it be like six TB3 on the TCG Anadolu, probably they will adjust the count to the mission requirements every time it sets sail. They should also put some add on VLS launchers on the ship.

 

[Oublious]

Aggressive Climb and Maneuver Test

 

[Agha Sher]

Aggressive Climb and Maneuver Test

Is 'aggressive climb and maneuver' in the room with us right now?

 

[Tornadoss]

Is 'aggressive climb and maneuver' in the room with us right now?

F-22 Raptor takeoff climb

www.youtube.com

What I imagine when I see aggressive climb

 

[Agha Sher]

F-22 Raptor takeoff climb

www.youtube.com

What I imagine when I see aggressive climb

As a minimum you need the landing gear retracted.

 

[MonteCarlo]

TB3 will start operating on TCG Anadolu in September. I wonder how is the progress with the land based TB-3?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1961754078670696478

I guess this answers my question Land forces has started acquiring Land Based TB-3's.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1963527753208136182

 

[Mis_TR_Like]

I like the way you approach this. You are correct in thinking that this drone should operate in airspaces where total air superiority is gained.

But TB2 stands for Tactical Block 2. It is not a standard MALE drone. It is built to fight.
Tactical in armed forces means taking immediate combat actions in the battlefield front.
So this plane’s Primary job is battlefield combat action. Not reconnaissance. So it should be made to perform what it was built for. If it has deficiencies in that field, then those shortcomings need to be addressed.
We have enough drones for reconnaissance, and similar platforms for stand off missile launching with more payload capacities, like Anka-S, Akinci and Aksungur.

Imo main job of a MALE drone is recon then it is to provide air support in places you have the air superiority be it by exploiting the gaps in enemy AD or operating in areas you have total air superiority. The success TB-2 had against Russian systems was an anomaly and should not be regarded as its main function albeit it can be replicated if certain conditions are met(EW support, good intel etc). This does not mean it is a bad or outdated concept but trying to shoehorn it into the role it was used in Libya, Syria and Azerbaijan in a peer to peer modern combat would be ineffective. Helicopter is a good comparison in that regard T-129's are extremely useful in counter-terrorism operations however no one would expect it to operate in contested air space and take out enemy AD. It is better to leave TB-2 as is or make it more useful in stand-off roles by integrating more sensors and long range missiles and give the task of operating in contested air space and gaining air superiority(which should be top priority anyway) to actual fighter jets.

Think of TB2 as TAF's modern day Sherman tank. It's cheap and easy to mass produce, and that matters a lot in a real war once things get rough.

In my opinion TB2 doesn't need longer range weapons. It needs countermeasures against munitions like 358. It doesn't need to be survivable against proper AD systems, that's where our jet powered drones and anti-radiation weapons step in. Once they clear the way, send in TB2s to pick apart their ground forces. It's a cheap platform for launching cheap munitions. If backed up with more advanced systems, it will continue to do its role for decades.



Every drone has its place

• Anka 3: Deep strike, stand off capable, SEAD/DEAD
• Kızılelma: Air supremacy, stand-off capable, anti-ship, SEAD/DEAD
• Akıncı: Heavy bombardment, stand-off capable, anti-ship, AA against helicopters and drones
• Aksungur: Medium bombardment, Long endurance reconnaissance, anti-submarine,
• TB3: Anti-tank, anti-infantry, limited standoff capabilities
• TB2: Anti tank, anti-infantry