Malaysia To Receive ANKA MALE-UAS Next Year - Mohamed Khaled

From Mohd Adli Shahar

ISTANBUL, July 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is expected to receive the Turkish-made ANKA Medium Altitude Long Endurance-Unmanned Aerial System (MALE-UAS) by March 2026, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said the ANKA MALE-UAS, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is currently undergoing radar system integration and radio communication installation, with the equipment sourced from Germany.

“Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officers who will operate ANKA are currently undergoing training with the supplier. When we acquire assets like this, operational training is also provided by the supplying company,” he told reporters here on Thursday.

On the possibility of acquiring additional ANKA MALE-UAS units, Mohamed Khaled said future procurement of defence assets will be decided by the government based on the 13th Malaysia Plan, scheduled to be tabled on July 31.

Defence Ministry and TAI signed the contract for the procurement of three units of the ANKA MALE-UAS, along with associated support equipment, during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in May 2023.

Malaysia is believed to have selected the ANKA-S variant, capable of operating at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet for 24 to 30 hours, with a payload capacity ranging from 250 to 350 kilogrammes.

Beyond Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the advanced ANKA MALE-UAS could also be armed with four MAM Smart Micro Missiles, developed by Türkiye’s defence company, ROKETSAN, for precision ground-attack missions.

Mohamed Khaled, who concluded a three-day official visit to Turkiye today, attended the 2025 International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) and inspected the construction of the second batch of three Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) by Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik (STM).

-- BERNAMA